Preliminary studies of the effects of vascular adhesion protein-1 inhibitors on experimental corneal neovascularization

Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) controls the adhesion of lymphocytes to endothelial cells and is upregulated at sites of inflammation. Moreover, it expresses amine oxidase activity, due to the sequence identity with semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase. Recent studies indicate a significant role for VAP-1 in neovascularization, besides its contribution to inflammation. Pathological blood vessel development in severe ocular diseases (such as diabetes, age-related macula degeneration, trauma and infections) might lead to decreased visual acuity and finally to blindness, yet there is no clear consensus as to its appropriate treatment. In the present case study, the effects of two VAP-1 inhibitors on experimentally induced corneal neovascularization in rabbits were compared with the effects of a known inhibitor of angiogenesis, bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody. In accordance with recent literature data, the results of the preliminary study reported here indicate that the administration of VAP-1 inhibitors is a potentially valuable therapeutic option in the treatment of corneal neovascularization.