A researcher from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has found that an increased expression of the angiogenic factor VEGF-A causes both versions of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts in an animal model.
The researcher — Dr. Alexander Marneros of the MGH Cutaneous Biology Research Center — reportedly used a mouse model that was administered VEGF-A at two to three times the normal level. He found the increased level in the retina led to the types of damage seen in both wet and dry AMD, as well as oxidative stress in the lens and accelerated formation of cataracts.
Click here to read the full press release.
Source: Massachusetts General Hospital