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Fibromodulin for the treatment of age related macular degeneration
Children's Hospital Boston
posted on 01/09/2012
Dr. Robert D'Amato and his fellow Dr. Irit Adini discovered fibromodulin, a known small interstitial proteoglycan, as a novel pro- angiogenic factor produced by melanocytes that regulates blood vessel formation in pigmented tissues such as the skin and eyes. They showed that low pigmented cells produce a higher level of fibromodulin – the presence of this factor may explain why light skin individuals have a higher incidence of angiogenic diseases. They found that fibromodulin stimulates angiogenesis in a number of in vitro angiogenesis assays, as well as in vivo in the murine corneal micropocket model, in a choroidal neovascularization modeland in the development of the neonatal mouse retina. Importantly, additional data indicates that fibromodulin is as potent as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in promoting blood vessel formation. Therefore fibromodulin is a unique and promising new target for the treatment of angiogenesis-dependent diseases. Ongoing and future work will focus on generating agents which can modulate activity of fibromodulin.
File Number: CMCC 1702
Other Information: *Investigator(s)*
Robert D'Amato
*Contact*
Maude Tessier, Maude.Tessier@childrens.harvard.edu
This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact David Altman at Children's Hospital Boston for more information.
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