Therapeutics
Need help in understanding the market for new screening technologies?
Current approaches to prevent and slow down the progression of diabetic retinopathy are built around the tight control of glucose and blood pressure, as demonstrated by the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes study (UKPDS). Intensive metabolic diabetes therapy and blood pressure control lead to a reduc- tion of the progression of diabetic retinopathy3,4. Still, patients with diabetes remain at high residual risk for microvascular complications, even if they are treated with optimal standard of care, a factor which certainly underscores the unmet need for novel thera- peutic approaches to prevent and treat diabetes- induced blindness5. Today, therapies to treat diabetic retinopathy include laser-induced retinal photocoagu- lation, which still remains the first-line treatment of diabetic retinopathy. It reduces the risk of blindness derived from vitreous haemorrhage or detachment of the retina. This therapy has been shown to be suc- cessful for early treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy before the bleeding or detachment has progressed too far. Limitations of laser therapy include a diminished vision field and reduced colour vision and sensitivity. Vitrectomy, the surgical removal of the vitreous gel from the middle of the eye, is often used for patients with more advanced retinal disease. The procedure is intended to prevent the complete detachment of the retina (reviewed in 6). Existing treatment options for diabetic retinopa- thy are limited, resulting in a need for new thera- peutic approaches to treat this debilitating disease. Current research is focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of the development and progression of diabetic retinopa- thy. Several pharmacological agents are currently studied for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. These include local and systemic agents.
HTStec is an independent market research consultancy, focused on providing informed opinion and market research on the technologies that underpin drug screening today. HTStec offers companies that are developing novel liquid handling, detection instruments, laboratory automation, assay reagents and platform technologies a range of consulting services and published market reports.
To find out how HTStec can help you maximize the market potential of your developments visit...
www.htstec.com
Diabetic retinopathy and angiogenesis Angiogenesis plays a fundamental role in the nor- mal development and pathological process of the eye. Hyperglycaemia, ischaemia and other growth factors can induce vascular endothelial growth fac- tor (VEGF), a glycoprotein that is essential for the formation of the foetal vascular system. VEGF is expressed during embryonic development, and its expression decreases after birth, but it was also found to be highly expressed in rapidly growing tumours. VEGF is active in a wide variety of processes; it plays a prominent role in ocular neo- vascularisation and is active in promoting ocular inflammation. VEGF is increased by retinal hypox- ia and induces the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier, thus strategies to block VEGF or its activi- ty in the eye may provide promising treatment options for diabetic retinopathy6.
Drug Discovery World Summer 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92