Resveratrol Fights Eye Angiogenesis

ST. LOUISResveratrol may inhibit angiogenesis in the eye, helping to preserve vision in adults with eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and certain types of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new trial (Am J Pathol. July 2010;177:481-492. DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090836). Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis studied mice that develop abnormal angiogenesis in the retina after laser treatment, and found when the mice were given resveratrol, the abnormal blood vessels began to disappear. The research team determined resveratrol activated eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF2), inhibiting the proliferation and migration of vascular endothelial cells. Interestingly, the effect is different than that seen in previous studies, in which resveratrol exerted effects on the sirtuin family of proteins, helping to ameliorate and decelerate the aging process.

In a statement from Washington University, Rajendra S. Apte, M.D., Ph.D., the studys senior investigator, noted the oral administration of resveratrol may make it ideal for treating different retinal conditions, which are currently addressed with eye injections. "We have identified a novel pathway that could become a new target for therapies," Apte said. "This could potentially be a preventive therapy in high-risk patients. And because it worked on existing, abnormal blood vessels in the animals, it may be a therapy that can be started after angiogenesis already is causing damage."