VISION THROUGH PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY OF THE EYE
Photodynamic therapy of conditions of the eye, especially those conditions characterized by unwanted neovasculature, such as age-related macular degeneration, results in enhanced visual acuity for treated subjects.
1 . An aqueous composition comprising a green porphyrin and a low-density lipoprotein component of plasma.
2 . A method of delivering a green porphyrin to a site of neovasculature in a human subject, said method comprising use of a low-density lipoprotein component of plasma comprising a green porphyrin.
3 . A method of treating choroidal neovasculature in a human subject, which method comprises:
irradiating said subject's ocular tissue containing said neovasculature with light absorbed by a photoactive compound, and
repeating said irradiating of ocular tissue at least once,
wherein said subject has been administered the photoactive compound before each irradiating of ocular tissue;
wherein the wavelength of the light is absorbed by the photoactive compound; and
wherein said irradiation is conducted for a time and at an intensity sufficient to treat said choroidal neovasculature.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the photoactive compound is a green porphyrin, a hematoporphyrin derivative, a chlorin, or a phlorin.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein said green porphyrin is of the formula
wherein each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of carbalkoxyl (2-6C), alkyl (1-6C), arylsulfonyl (6-10C), cyano and —CONR 5 CO— wherein R 5 is aryl (6-10C) or alkyl (1-6C);
each R 3 is independently carboxyl, carboxyalkyl (2-6C) or a salt, amide, ester or acyl hydrazone thereof, or is alkyl (1-6C);
R 4 is CH═CH 2 or —CH(OR 4′ )CH 3 wherein R 4′ is H, or alkyl (1-6C) optionally substituted with a hydrophilic substituent.
6 . The method of claim 3 wherein said irradiation is administered at an irradiance of about 600 mW/cm 2 to provide a total fluence of 50 J/cm 2 -150 J/cm 2 of said light.
7 . The method of claim 3 wherein said repeating is at two weeks following an initial irradiating of ocular tissue.
8 . The method of claim 3 wherein said repeating is at six weeks following an initial irradiating of ocular tissue.
9 . The method of claim 3 wherein said subject has been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
10 . The method of claim 3 wherein the subject has been diagnosed with a condition selected from the group consisting of macular degeneration, ocular histoplasmosis syndrome, myopia, and inflammatory diseases.