Department of Ophthalmology

Baylor College of Medicine

Houston, TX

BASIC RESEARCH PROJECT

Identifying a receptor for disease-targeted anti-angiogenic therapy of wet AMD

Research Interests

Dr. Li has developed an innovative technology for screening molecular therapeutic targets and discovered a disease-targeted, anti-angiogenic therapy against a novel
disease-selective angiogenic factor. Dr. Li validated the unique properties of this therapy, which has significant efficacy and safety advantages for the therapy of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) over the currently available therapy, including minimal side effects on healthy vessels. Importantly, combination of this novel therapy with currently available anti-angiogenic drugs synergistically further improves treatment efficacy in the animal models Dr. Li has developed. Identifying the unknown receptor for the novel disease-selective angiogenic factor is crucial for supporting the synergistic combination therapy and potential clinical translation. Preliminary studies identified a putative receptor.

Plans for 2025

The purpose of Dr. Li’s 2025 project is to independently validate the newly-identified putative receptor as the genuine receptor of the disease-selective angiogenic factor, which is essential to mediate the disease-targeted anti-angiogenic therapy.

Specific Aims:
This project has the following two specific aims. Aim 1 will characterize the specific binding of the angiogenic factor to the putative receptor in a cell-free environment. Additionally, ligand binding to cells overexpressing the putative receptor will be validated. Aim 2 will determine whether receptor over-expression in receptor-knockout animal models of wet AMD will restore the responsiveness to the anti-angiogenic therapy.