The role of PIWIL4 and piRNAs in the development of choroidal neovascularization

Genomics. 2023 May;115(3):110615. doi: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110615. Epub 2023 Mar 17.

Abstract

Wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in industrialized nations. Anti-vascular epidermal growth factor (VEGF) therapy via intravitreal injection is the most effective clinical treatment for wAMD due to high concentrations of VEGF that promote choroidal neovascularization. While PIWI proteins participate in various biological processes, their function in AMD remains unclear. In this study, we discovered that PIWIL4 expression is elevated in a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model and that it regulates angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Differentially expressed piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) were identified in a CNV model and were shown to potentially regulate angiogenesis via bioinformatics analysis. PIWIL4 knockdown inhibits VEGF secretion and VEGFR2 phosphorylation. Overall, PIWIL4 may serve as a novel target to block pathological choroidal neovascularization, and the study of the PIWI-piRNAs pathway in wAMD highlights its broad function in somatic cells.

Keywords: AMD; Angiogenesis; PIWI proteins; VEGF; piRNAs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Argonaute Proteins / metabolism
  • Choroidal Neovascularization* / drug therapy
  • Choroidal Neovascularization* / etiology
  • Choroidal Neovascularization* / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Intravitreal Injections
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Piwi-Interacting RNA*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • Piwi-Interacting RNA
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • PIWIL4 protein, mouse
  • Argonaute Proteins