Although they share some receptor signalling pathways, many of the actions of PlGF are distinct from VEGF and this has revealed the enticing prospect that it could be a useful therapeutic target for treating early and late stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The study results suggest that PGF may play a role in scar formation in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and that the inhibition of PGF may be a promising target for the prevention and treatment of AMD.
In the nAMD group, eyes with dry maculae one month after the first aflibercept injection showed significantly lower VEGF-A and placental growth factor (PlGF) at baseline than those with wet maculae (p = 0.02 for both).
Placental growth factor is a susceptibility gene for nAMD in a Chinese population, providing new evidence to support a biological role of PGF in choroidal neovascularization.
High levels of PlGF have been found in aqueous humor, vitreous and/or retina of patients exhibiting retinopathies, especially those with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD).