Age-related macular degeneration and current therapies

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is degenerative retinal eye disease that affects central vision. It is estimated that by 2040, approximately 288 million people in the world might be affected by AMD. Considering the rapidly aging world population, the need for understanding the mechanism of progressive degeneration and developing appropriate treatment methods are increasing. Retinal degeneration in AMD is directly associated with many factors such as smoking, cardiovascular diseases, nutritional and genetic factors, and genes regulating complement, lipid, angiogenic, and extracellular matrix pathways. Studies on therapy development have limitations due to lack of knowledge of pathophysiological mechanism, multifactorial effects and disease progression is different in different patients. Although some therapy studies promise in treating AMD, huge effort is still needed for future drug development. This review focuses on the classification of AMD, underlying pathological mechanism, currently available and developing new treatment opportunities.