PPAR Research
Volume 2008 (2008), Article ID 821592, 5 pages
doi:10.1155/2008/821592
Review Article
PPAR-α Ligands as Potential Therapeutic Agents for Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration
The Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287-9278, USA
Received 1 November 2007; Revised 24 January 2008; Accepted 19 February 2008
Academic Editor: Suofu Qin
Copyright © 2008 Marisol del V Cano and Peter L. Gehlbach. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR's) are members of the steroid/thyroid nuclear receptor, superfamily of transcription factors. There are currently three known PPAR subtypes, α, β, and γ. The PPARs are now recognized participants in a number
of biological pathways some of which are implicated in the
pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). These
include immune modulation, lipid regulation, and
oxidant/antioxidant pathways important to the onset and
progression of “dry” AMD, and vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) mediated pathways that stimulate choroidal
neovascularization (CNV), characteristic of “wet” AMD.
PPAR-α is found in retina and also on vascular cells
important to formation of CNV. At this time, however, relatively
little is known about potential contributions of PPAR-α to the pathogenesis of dry and wet AMD. This review examines current literature for potential roles of PPAR-α in the pathogenesis and potential treatment of AMD with emphasis on prevention and treatment of wet AMD.