Mathematical models for the effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor on visual acuity

• DOI: 10.1007/s00285-020-01544-4
• Publication Date: 2020-09-24T01:52:05Z
• Authors: David A. Edwards; Brooks Emerick; Anna Georgieva Ko...; Kristian Kiradjiev; Christopher Raymond; Maxim Zyskin
• Keywords: Ode

The standard of care treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration, delivered as ocular injection, is based on anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF). The course of treatment may need to be modified quickly for certain patients based on their response. Models that track both the concentration and the response to an anti-VEGF treatment are presented. The specific focus is to assess the existence of analytical solutions for the different types of models. Both an ODE-based model and a map-based model illustrate the dependence of the solution on various biological parameters and allow the measurement of patient-specific parameters from experimental data. A PDE-based model incorporates diffusive effects. The results are consistent with observed values, and could provide a framework for practitioners to understand the effect of the therapy on the progression of the disease in both responsive and non-responsive patients.