VEGFA and macular retinal edema: Diabetics have increased vascular permeability and angiogenesis due to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and some diabetic patients undergo intravitreal injections of bevacizumab, an inhibitory antibody to VEGF, to treat macular edema (an inflammation of the central part of the retina called the macula)22, 23, 24.