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Abstract
The development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a crucial factor in the pathophysiology and prognosis of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Therefore, the detection of CNV is essential for establishing an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. Current ophthalmic imaging techniques, such as fundus fluorescent angiography and optical coherence tomography, have limitations in accurately visualizing CNV lesions and expressing CNV activity, owing to issues such as excessive dye leakage with pooling and the inability to provide functional information. Here, using the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide's affinity for integrin αvβ3, which is expressed in the neovascular endothelial cells in ocular tissues, we propose the use of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled RGD peptide as a novel dye for effective molecular imaging of CNV. FITC-labeled RGD peptides (FITC-RGD2), prepared by bioconjugation of one FITC molecule with two RGD peptides, demonstrated better visualization and precise localization of CNV lesions than conventional fluorescein dyes in laser-induced CNV rodent models, as assessed using various imaging techniques, including a commercially available clinical fundus camera (Optos). These results suggest that FITC-RGD2 can serve as an effective novel dye for the diagnosis of neovascular retinal diseases, including AMD, by enabling early detection and treatment of disease occurrence and recurrence after treatment.

Affiliations

Seung Woo Choi 1, Hye Kyoung Hong 1, Jehwi Jeon 2 3, Ji Young Choi 4 5, Minah Kim 1, Pilhan Kim 2 3, Byung Chul Lee 4, Se Joon Woo 1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, Republic of Korea.
2Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
3KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology (KIHST), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
4Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, Republic of Korea.
5Bio-Max Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.