VeCare · Selective retention of VEGF for cancer and retinopathies therapeutics

Angiogenesis is the mechanism of blood vessel formation from pre-existing ones and is vital for nutrient and oxygen delivery to all cells in the organism. However, dysregulation of angiogenesis is detrimental for the organism. Excessive or abnormal angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer and various retinopathies and favours tumour growth and metastasis, and vision loss, respectively. Excessive or abnormal angiogenesis is fuelled by hypoxia-driven expression of high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the main pro-angiogenic molecule that stimulates the formation of new blood vessels.Although VEGF-centric anti-angiogenic therapies do exist, their efficacy is limited by their specificity and numerous side effects, hampering greatly their potential clinical benefits. Therefore, there is an urgent need for improved anti-VEGF therapeutic strategies.The aim of this PoC project is to identify a novel class of anti-VEGF drugs. We designed an innovative and unique screening method to identify an unexplored mechanism to inhibit VEGF function in vivo, which has the prospect of reduced toxicity and, thus, enhanced clinical efficacy. This project will enable the creation of a start-up company to commercialize the newly identified class of drugs for subsequent clinical development to curb cancer and retinopathies. We aim at improving patient survival and well-being, and reducing the economic burden associated with these diseases.