MDM2 inhibitors in the search for an optimized neovascular age-related macular degeneration treatment

Abstract

Murine double minute-2 inhibitors offer a durable treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration by inducing apoptosis in pathologically proliferating cells, a similar effect as radiation therapy, but with potentially a more favorable side-effect profile since it does not induce DNA damage. Murine double minute-2 inhibitors may be complementary to current anti-VEGF treatments and potentially reduce the cumulative number of intravitreal injections.

Keywords::

• angiogenesis
• apoptosis
• human double minute-2
• macular degeneration
• murine double minute-2
• Nutlin-3
• p53

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors were supported by a Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award, a Foundation Fighting Blindness Career Development Award and an unrestricted Research to Prevent Blindness departmental grant. SH Chavala filed patent application no. 61/386,808, ‘MDM2 inhibitors for treatment of ocular conditions,’ in September 2010. SH Chavala is also the founder of Serrata LLC, a start-up company that plans to commercialize novel treatments for ocular disease. 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.