Materials and methods for treating ocular-related disorders

摘要

The invention is directed to a method of delivering a gene product to an animal. The method comprises administering an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence operably linked to a promoter and encoding a gene product, and upregulating transcription of the nucleic acid sequence in the ocular cell. The expression vector can be an adenoviral vector. The invention further provides a method of prophylactically or therapeutically treating an animal for at least one ocular-related disorder. The method comprises contacting an ocular cell with an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an inhibitor of angiogenesis and/or a neurotrophic agent. In one aspect, the method further comprises upregulating transcription of the nucleic acid sequence. Preferably, if 2x10⁸ adenoviral particles of the inventive method are administered to a mouse, the level of expression of the nucleic acid sequence is not diminished more than ten-fold at 28 days post-administration.