A new approach to the treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity

University Of Virginia, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long term objective of this application is to develop new treatments for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the leading cause of childhood blindness. Specific Aim I is to develop a new class of novel light-activated anti-angiogenesis drugs for targeted treatment of peripheral neovascularization that occurs in ROP. Specific Aim II is to use fat derived cells to protect the immature blood vessels in newborns from damage from ROP. Specific Aim III is to determine whether two molecules involved in blood vessel growth, ephrin-B2 and EphB4, are involved in ROP and if they might be a good target to treat the disease.