Therapeutic targeting of the complement system in ocular disease

Sonika Rathi; Rafiq Hasan; Marius Ueffing; Simon J Clark

doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103757

Therapeutic targeting of the complement system in ocular disease

Drug Discov Today. 2023 Nov;28(11):103757. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103757. Epub 2023 Aug 30.

Authors

Sonika Rathi¹, Rafiq Hasan², Marius Ueffing³, Simon J Clark⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
² Complement Therapeutics, London, UK.
³ Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address: marius.ueffing@uni-tuebingen.de.
⁴ Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department for Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; University Eye Clinic, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. Electronic address: simon.clark@uni-tuebingen.de.

PMID: 37657753
DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103757

Abstract

The complement system is involved in the pathogenesis of several ocular diseases, providing a rationale for the investigation of complement-targeting therapeutics for these conditions. Dry age-related macular degeneration, as characterised by geographic atrophy (GA), is currently the most active area of research for complement-targeting therapeutics, with a complement C3 inhibitor approved in the United States earlier this year marking the first approved therapy for GA. This review discusses the role of complement in ocular disease, provides an overview of the complement-targeting agents currently under development for ocular conditions, and reflects on the lessons that can be learned from the preclinical investigations and clinical trials conducted in this field to date.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration; blood–retina barrier; complement; drug delivery; geographic atrophy.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Eye
Geographic Atrophy* / drug therapy
Geographic Atrophy* / etiology
Geographic Atrophy* / pathology
Humans
Macular Degeneration* / drug therapy