A research team led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the University of New Mexico School of Medicine has identified a small molecule that treats animal models of aged macular degeneration (AMD) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by preventing the overgrowth of blood vessels that are characteristic of these two retinal diseases. The new findings, described in the journal Science Translational Medicine, show that this molecule, named Vasotide in this paper, can be delivered in the form of eye drops, a discovery that offers a promising alternative to current therapies for these retinal diseases, which require monthly injections of large molecules directly into the eyeball.
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