Methods for treatment of age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

The invention provides compositions and methods of predicting a subject's risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and methods of treating, delaying, or preventing the development and progression of AMD.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating age-related macular degeneration in a subject comprising administering to the subject a composition that inhibits activity of IP-10, wherein the composition that inhibits the activity of IP-10 is a neutralizing antibody or a solubilized receptor that binds circulating IP-10. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the age-related macular degeneration is one of dry age-related macular degeneration. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the age-related macular degeneration is wet age-related macular degeneration. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered intravenously, subcutaneously, or orally. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is administered locally, topically, intraocularly, periburlbarly, or intravitreally. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a non-selective cytokine inhibitor that has cross-over inhibitory activity against IP-10 or eotaxin receptors. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 administering to the subject a composition that inhibits activity of eotaxin.   
     
     
         8 . A method of treating age-related macular degeneration in a subject comprising administering to the subject a composition that inhibits activity of eotaxin. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the age-related macular degeneration is one of dry age-related macular degeneration and wet age-related macular degeneration. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composition that inhibits the activity of eotaxin is a neutralizing antibody or a solubilized receptor that binds circulating eotaxin, or a CC receptor antagonist. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composition is administered orally, intravenously or subcutaneously. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composition is administered locally, topically, intraocularly, periburlbarly, intravitreally. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composition comprises a non-selective cytokine inhibitor that has cross-over inhibitory activity against IP-10 or eotaxin receptors. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composition that inhibits the activity of eotaxin is a CCR3 receptor antagonist selected from the group consisting of DPC168, BMS570520, Ki19003, SB328437, GW701897, YM-344031 and GW766994. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composition inhibits TNF-α and IP-10. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the composition that inhibits the activity of eotaxin is LMP-420. 
     
     
         17 . A method of preventing age-related macular degeneration in a subject at risk thereof comprising administering to the subject a composition that inhibits activity of eotaxin. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring a treatment of age-related macular degeneration by:
 (a) providing a first test sample from the subject;   (b) measuring, in the first test sample, first levels of IP-10;   (c) performing the administering to said subject of the composition that inhibits the activity of IP-10;   (d) providing a second test sample from the subject;   (e) measuring, in the second test sample, second levels of IP-10; and   (f) comparing the second levels of IP-10 to the first levels of IP-10, wherein a higher level of IP-10 in the first test sample compared to the second test sample indicates the treatment is effective.