Vascular adhesion protein 1 in the eye

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase/vascular adhesion protein-1 (ssao/vap-1),a dual-function molecule with adhesive and enzymatic properties,is expressed on the surface of vascular endothelial cells of mammals. it also exists as a soluble form (svap-1),which is implicated in oxidative stress via its enzymatic activity and can be a prognostic biomarker. recent evidence suggests that vap-1 is an important therapeutic target for several inflammation-related ocular diseases,such as uveitis,age-related macular degeneration (amd),and diabetic retinopathy (dr),by involving in the recruitment of leukocytes at sites of inflammation. furthermore,vap-1 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of conjunctival inflammatory diseases such as pyogenic granulomas and the progression of conjunctival lymphoma. vap-1 may be an alternative therapeutic target in ocular diseases. the in vivo imaging of inflammation using vap-1 as a target molecule is a novel approach with a potential for early detection and characterization of inflammatory diseases. this paper reviews the critical roles of vap-1 in ophthalmological diseases which may provide a novel research direction or a potent therapeutic strategy. © 2013 wenting luo et al.