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Gene expression profile of the murine ischemic retina and its response to Aflibercept (VEGF-Trap).

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Rojo Arias, Jesús Eduardo 
Jászai, József 

Abstract

Ischemic retinal dystrophies are leading causes of acquired vision loss. Although the dysregulated expression of the hypoxia-responsive VEGF-A is a major driver of ischemic retinopathies, implication of additional VEGF-family members in their pathogenesis has led to the development of multivalent anti-angiogenic tools. Designed as a decoy receptor for all ligands of VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, Aflibercept is a potent anti-angiogenic agent. Notwithstanding, the molecular mechanisms mediating Aflibercept's efficacy remain only partially understood. Here, we used the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mouse as a model system of pathological retinal vascularization to investigate the transcriptional response of the murine retina to hypoxia and of the OIR retina to Aflibercept. While OIR severely impaired transcriptional changes normally ensuing during retinal development, analysis of gene expression patterns hinted at alterations in leukocyte recruitment during the recovery phase of the OIR protocol. Moreover, the levels of Angiopoietin-2, a major player in the progression of diabetic retinopathy, were elevated in OIR tissues and consistently downregulated by Aflibercept. Notably, GO term, KEGG pathway enrichment, and expression dynamics analyses revealed that, beyond regulating angiogenic processes, Aflibercept also modulated inflammation and supported synaptic transmission. Altogether, our findings delineate novel mechanisms potentially underlying Aflibercept's efficacy against ischemic retinopathies.

Description

Keywords

Angiogenesis Inhibitors, Animals, Chemotaxis, Leukocyte, Diabetic Retinopathy, Disease Models, Animal, Energy Metabolism, Eye Proteins, Gene Expression Regulation, Gene Ontology, Gene Regulatory Networks, Ischemia, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neovascularization, Physiologic, Oxygen, Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Recombinant Fusion Proteins, Retina, Retinal Vessels, Retinopathy of Prematurity, Transcription, Genetic, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Journal Title

Sci Rep

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2045-2322
2045-2322

Volume Title

11

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC