Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 may have utility as an anti-angiogenic agent in the eye. Numerous laboratories, including our own have demonstrated the ability of murine IL-18 to prevent neovascularization in the retina, choroid and cornea in pathological scenarios. Here, we summarize the potential use of IL-18 as an immunotherapy for wet age-related macular degeneration treatment, describing past and recent findings pertaining to its biological function in the eye.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
M Campbell was supported by Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, GlaxoSmithKline. P Humphries was supported by Science Foundation Ireland, European Research Council, and the Health Research Board. S Doyle was supported by the Health Research Board, Bright Focus Foundation, National Children’s Research Centre. Trinity College Dublin owns a patent pertaining to the use of IL-18 for the treatment of wet AMD. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.