Role of Flt3 signaling in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration and animal models of choroidal neovascularization.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the key drivers of angiogenesis in nAMD, and current treatment focuses solely upon VEGF inhibition. However, despite maximal anti-VEGF therapy, 15% of patients lose vision, which totals 3 million people worldwide. Therefore, new non-VEGF therapeutic targets are an unmet clinical need for patients with anti-VEGF resistant nAMD.