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Protein found to prevent corneal blood vessel growth
Large amounts of the protein VEGFR-3 on the epithelial layer of the cornea inhibit neovascularization and allow the cornea to remain clear, Boston researchers found.
In an experimental study involving mice, Reza Dana, MD, and colleagues at the Schepens Eye Research Institute and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary discovered that VEFGR-3 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3) and the gene that expresses it were present on the corneal epithelium. They also found that only corneas without epithelial layers developed new blood vessels, implicating the epithelium’s role in suppressing blood vessel growth.
In a series of studies, the researchers found that adding a VEGFR-3 substitute to corneas that were stripped of their epithelial layers prevented blood vessel growth. Additionally, intact corneas exposed to a VEGFR-3-blocking agent began to experience blood vessel growth.
The study was published in the July 25 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.