VEGFA and diabetic retinopathy: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is upregulated by hypoxia during ischemia [4] and is a major stimulatory factor for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration [5,6] and high myopia [7], as well as retinal neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy [6].