Treatments for age-related macular degeneration and novel options using CCR3 antagonists

Abstract

As global ageing increases, more and more people are suffering, or will soon suffer, from the inconvenience of living with a degenerative disease. One of these degenerative diseases is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degenerative disease closely related to the eye and millions of elderly people are suffering from it. This article will explain the primary pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration.and focuses on the conventional treatment of Wet AMD, for example anti-VEGF drugs and surgery, and describes the mechanism of treatment with the shortcomings therein.  In addition to this, this paper will present a novel therapeutic approach for wet age-related macular degeneration, via the G protein-coupled receptor CCR3. At the same time, this paper will compare the CCR3 therapy with the traditional therapy using chemical drugs, and explain the superior points and shortcomings of the CCR3 therapy. CCR3 antagonists were found to have better selectivity and affinity compared to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs. CCR3 antagonists are expected to become another new class of drugs for the treatment of AMD, if novel, low-cost CCR3 antagonists are developed to replace the expensive CCR3 antibodies.