Anti-Angiogenic Effects of Ribonucleic Acid Interference Targeting Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α

RNAi of VEGF and HIF-1α may have therapeutic potential in ischemic retinal diseases like diabetic retinopathy. Targeting VEGF seems to have the advantage of decreasing the production of several clinically important angiogenic factors, thereby effectively inhibiting angiogenesis. Antagonism of HIF-1α may lead to the overactivation of alternate transcription factors and their respective gene products, leading to less effective inhibition of angiogenesis.