ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION One of the major developments in our understanding of pathologic angiogenic states, such as in cancer and in choroidal neovascularization (CNV), has been the identifi cation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as the primary angiogenic signal. It has now become apparent that VEGF plays an indispensable role in the development of CNV in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and our growing knowledge of VEGF signaling over the past few decades has led to the development and clinical use of anti-VEGF therapies in the treatment of neovascular AMD, which have dramatically altered the course and outcomes of patients with this disease. This chapter reviews the basic pathogenesis of CNV, and specifi cally focuses on VEGF and VEGF signaling and the role that it plays in the various aspects of angiogenesis and CNV.
