Browsing by Author "Wolf, Amber T."

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    Disease progression pathways of wet AMD: opportunities for new target discovery
    (Taylor & Francis, 2022) Wolf, Amber T.; Harris, Alon; Oddone, Francesco; Siesky, Brent; Verticchio Vercellin, Alice; Ciulla, Thomas A.; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among people age 60 years or older in developed countries. Current standard-of-care anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, which inhibits angiogenesis and vascular permeability, has been shown to stabilize choroidal neovascularization and increase visual acuity in neovascular AMD. However, therapeutic limitations of anti-VEGF therapy include limited durability with consequent need for frequent intravitreal injections, and a ceiling of efficacy. Current strategies under investigation include targeting VEGF-C and VEGF-D, integrins, tyrosine kinase receptors, and the Tie2/angiopoietin-2 pathway. A literature search was conducted through November 30, 2021 on PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and associated digital platforms with the following keywords: wet macular degeneration, age-related macular degeneration, therapy, VEGF-A, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, integrins, Tie2/Ang2, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Areas covered: The authors provide a comprehensive review of AMD disease pathways and mechanisms involved in wet AMD as well as novel targets for future therapies. Expert opinion: With novel targets and advancements in drug delivery, there is potential to address treatment burden and to improve outcomes for patients afflicted with neovascular AMD.
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    Vascular Biomarkers from Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography and Glaucoma: Where do we stand in 2021?
    (Wiley, 2022) Shin, Joshua D.; Wolf, Amber T.; Harris, Alon; Verticchio Vercellin, Alice; Siesky, Brent; Rowe, Lucas W.; Packles, Michelle; Oddone, Francesco; Graduate Medical Education, School of Medicine
    Biomarkers of ocular blood flow originating from a wide variety of imaging modalities have been associated with glaucoma onset and progression for many decades. Advancements in imaging platforms including optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) have provided the ability to quantify vascular changes in glaucoma patients, alongside traditional measures such as retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) and optic nerve head (ONH) structure. Current literature on vascular biomarkers, as measured by OCTA, indicates significant relationships between glaucoma and blood flow and capillary density in the retina and ONH. The data currently available, however, is highly diverse and lacks robust longitudinal data on OCTA vascular outcomes and glaucoma progression. Herein we discuss and summarize the relevant current literature on OCTA vascular biomarkers and glaucoma reviewed from December 14, 2020 through March 1, 2021. Associations between OCTA vascular biomarkers and clinical structural and functional glaucoma outcomes as well as differences between glaucoma patients and healthy controls are reviewed and summarized. The available data identifies significantly decreased flow density, flow index, and vessel density in the ONH, peripapillary vascular layer, and macula of glaucoma patients compared to controls. Whole image vessel density is also significantly decreased in glaucoma patients compared to controls and this outcome has been found to correspond to severity of visual field loss. OCTA vascular biomarkers alongside clinical structural outcomes may aid in assessing overall risk for glaucoma in patients.