Abstract
Purpose:
To investigate the effect of intravitreally administered tanibirumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2, on a rat model of laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV)
Methods:
The anti-angiogenic effects of tanibirumab were validated by rat aortic ring assay. CNV was induced by laser photocoagulation on Day 0 in eyes of Brown Norway rats. Intravitreal injection of tanibirumab or PBS was done on Day 0 (prevention arm) or Day 7 (treatment arm). Seven days after injection, eyes were enucleated and retinal pigment epithelium-choroid-sclera flat mounts were prepared. Areas of CNV were determined in flat mounts using intravenously administered FITC-dextran and TRITC-BS isolectin labeling, and quantified using an image analysis program.
Results:
In the rat aortic ring assay, tanibirumab significantly inhibited VEGF-mediated vessel sprouting. In the prevention arm, the mean area of CNV was reduced by 28.2% and 53.9 % in tanibirumab-treated (20ug and 60ug, respectively) eyes compared with PBS-treated control eyes on Day 7 (P=0.028 and <0.001, respectively). In the treatment arm, the mean area of CNV was reduced by 28.7% and 46.0 % in tanibirumab-treated (20ug and 60ug, respectively) eyes compared with PBS-treated control eyes on Day 14 (P=0.020 and <0.001, respectively).
Conclusions:
Intravitreally administered tanibirumab resulted in the suppression of formation of new, and regression of pre-formed laser-induced CNV in the rat model. Tanibirumab may be a feasible treatment for CNV associated with age-related macular degeneration or other causes.
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration •
453 choroid: neovascularization