Thermal Ablation Therapy Integrated with Microenvironment Regulation and Anti-Inflammatory Effects for Choroidal
Jiayi Wei1,2, Xunjie Shang3, Dajun Lin1,2
1National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China.
Abstract:
Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a complex pathological process involving neovascularization, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), drives abnormal angiogenesis and compromises conventional therapeutic outcomes. To overcome these limitations, we developed a multifunctional nanoplatform (PDA@Ce-EGCG@RGD), which enables precise targeting to CNV lesions via αvβ3 integrin-specific recognition. This nanosystem features a coordinated therapeutic cascade by integrating photothermal therapy (PTT) for oxygen-independent vessel ablation, self-supplied oxygen generation through H2O2 catalysis to relieve hypoxia and oxidative stress, and macrophage polarization toward the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype to modulate immune response. Through synergistic integration of PTT, microenvironment regulation, and anti-inflammatory action, this multimodal nanotherapeutic system achieves sustained inhibition of VEGF expression and effective suppression of neovascularization, providing a promising therapeutic avenue for the treatment of CNV.

