Prevention and treatment of retinal ischemia and edema

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of treating retinopathy, retinal ischemia and/or retinal edema comprising administering an integrin or integrin subunit antagonist, leukocyte adhesion-inducing cytokine antagonist or growth factor antagonist, a selectin antagonist or adhesion molecule antagonist.

1 .- 69 . (canceled)  
     
     
         70 . A method for reducing or preventing retinal injury in a mammal, comprising administering to the mammal a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antagonist, wherein said VEGF antagonist inhibits leukocyte interaction, thereby reducing or preventing retinal injury.  
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the antagonist is an antibody or antibody fragment specific for VEGF.  
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the antagonist is an antisense molecule that hybridizes to the nucleic acid sequence that encodes VEGF, or a peptide mimetic molecule, ribozyme, an aptamer or small molecule antagonist that inhibits VEGF.  
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the VEGF antagonist is administered in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein a decrease of at least one condition selected from the group consisting of retinal edema and retinal ischemia occurs.  
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 74  wherein said decrease is between about 10% and about 90%.  
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the mammal is a human and wherein said human has diabetic retinopathy.  
     
     
         77 . A method for treating an individual having diabetic retinopathy comprising administering to said individual a VEGF antagonist, wherein leukocyte interaction is reduced or inhibited.  
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 77 , wherein at least one additional antagonist that inhibits the binding of a leukocyte to an endothelial cell or to another leukocyte is administered to said individual.  
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 78 , wherein the additional antagonist is at least one antagonist selected from the group consisting of: an integrin antagonist, selectin antagonist, leukocyte adhesion-inducing cytokine antagonist or another growth factor antagonist and an adhesion molecule antagonist.  
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 79 , wherein the integrin is selected from a group consisting of: LFA-1, Mac-1 and p150.95.  
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the integrin antagonist comprises an integrin subunit antagonist.  
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 81 , wherein the integrin subunit antagonist comprises a CD18 antagonist, CD11a antagonist or CD11b antagonist.  
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 79 , wherein the selectin is selected from a group consisting of: P-selectin, E-selectin and L-selectin.  
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 79 , wherein the leukocyte adhesion-inducing cytokine antagonist or growth factor antagonist is selected from a group consisting of: TNF-1α, IL-1β, MCP-1 and another VEGF antagonist.  
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 79 , wherein the adhesion molecule antagonist is selected from the group consisting of: a PCAM antagonist, a VCAM antagonist, an ICAM-1 antagonist, an ICAM-2 antagonist and an ICAM-3 antagonist.  
     
     
         86 . A method for treating an individual with at least one condition selected from the group consisting of retinal edema and retinal ischemia comprising administering to the individual a VEGF antagonist, wherein a decrease in retinal edema, retinal ischemia or retinal edema and retinal ischemia occurs.  
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 86 , wherein said decrease is between about 10% and about 90%.  
     
     
         88 . A method of preventing or reducing retinal leukocyte adhesion in a mammal, comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of a VEGF antagonist.  
     
     
         89 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein retinal leukocyte adhesion is reduced by between about 10% and about 90%.  
     
     
         90 . A method of treating or preventing neovascularization in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal a VEGF antagonist, wherein said neovascularization is reduced.  
     
     
         91 . The method of  claim 90 , wherein the mammal has a disease, condition or disorder selected from the group consisting of: age-related macular degeneration, choroidal neovascularization, sickle cell retinopathy, retina vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, a condition associated with limbal injury, a condition associated with increased neovascularization, traumatic alkali injury, Stevens Johnson syndrome and ocular cicatricial pemphagoid.  
     
     
         92 . The method of  claim 90 , wherein the neovascularization is reduced in the cornea, the retina or the choroid.