Angiogenesis and Eye Disease

The retina consists of organized layers of photoreceptors, interneurons, glia, epithelial cells, and endothelial cells. The economic model of supply and demand used to appropriately determine cost is highly applicable to the retina, in which the extreme metabolic demands of phototransduction are met by precisely localized and designed vascular networks. Proper development and maintenance of these networks is critical to normal visual function; dysregulation is characteristic of several devastating human diseases, including but not limited to age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. In this article, we focus on the lessons learned from the study of retinal vascular development and how these lessons can be used to better maintain adult vascular networks and prevent retinal diseases. We then outline the vasculotrophic contributions from neurons, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, and glia (specifically microglia) before we shift our focus to pathology to provide molecular contexts for neovascular retinal diseases. Finally, we conclude with a discussion that applies what we have learned about how retinal cells interact with the vasculature to identify and validate therapeutic approaches for neurovascular disease of the retina.