Prevention of retinal injury and degeneration by specific factors
OwnerMatthew LaVail, Roy H. Steinberg +1inventors
InventorsMatthew LaVail, Roy H. Steinberg, George D. Yancopoulos
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Abstract
Photoreceptor injury or cell death (retinal degeneration) is prevented by the introduction into the living mammalian eye of specific, survival-promoting factors. These specific factors prevent damage and degeneration of photoreceptors when introduced into the living eye prior to, during or after exposure to the damaging effects of light and delay photoreceptor damage caused by inherited disease.
Claims38
A method of reducing or preventing degeneration of retinal neurons in a mammal caused by exposure to light or other environmental trauma comprising administering to the mammal, prior to, during or following such exposure, a therapeutically effective dose of neurotrophic factor.
A method of preventing or reducing degeneration of retinal neurons in a mammal caused by exposure to light or other environmental trauma comprising administering to the mammal, prior to, during or following said exposure, a therapeutically effective dose of one or more factors selected from the group consisting of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), bFGF plus heparin, aFGF plus heparin, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).
A method of reducing or preventing degeneration of retinal neurons in a mammal having a pathological condition wherein retinal degeneration occurs, comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective dose of a neurotrophic factor.
A method of reducing or preventing degeneration of retinal neurons in a mammal having a pathological condition wherein retinal degeneration occurs, comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective dose of one or more factors selected from the group consisting of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), bFGF plus heparin, aFGF plus heparin, IL-1β, TNF-α and IGF-2.
A method of assessing the survival-promoting ability of an agent on retinal neurons or photoreceptors comprising
- (i) injecting the agent intravitreally into an albino mammal eye, prior to, during, or after exposure of the mammal to continuous light,
- (ii) evaluating the injected eye for degeneration of retinal neurons or photoreceptors as compared to a control eye exposed to the same light in the absence of injection of the agent;
- wherein decreased retinal degeneration as compared to the control eye correlates positively with survival-promoting ability of the agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.