Tackling Retinal Disease: Aflibercept's Multifaceted Approach

Prof. Thomas Langmann talks about the role of VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR1) and VEGFR2 signalling in retinal inflammation, vascular leakage and neovascularisation, particularly in diabetic eye disease. Excessive VEGFR1 activation promotes fluid leakage, oedema and inflammation via cytokine release and immune cell recruitment. Aflibercept, a fusion protein, binds VEGF-A, VEGF-B and placental growth factor (PlGF), preventing their interaction with VEGFR1 and VEGFR2. It has a high binding affinity, long ocular half-life, and unique ability to inhibit PlGF, unlike other anti-VEGF agents. By targeting multiple ligands, aflibercept reduces VEGF and PlGF levels, mitigating inflammation, oedema and neovascularisation in diabetic retinal disease.