VEGFA and age-related macular degeneration: Diabetic retinopathy (DR)and age-related macular degeneration(AMD) are among the leading causes of preventable blindness.1 Both are characterized by strong angiogenic andinflammatory components2 and the releaseof hypoxia-induced growth factors including vascular endothelial growthfactor (VEGF), angiopoietin-2, and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P).These growth factors are upregulated in the eyes of AMD and DR patients3−7 and trigger the formation of new hyperpermeable blood vessels withdefective smooth muscle coverage.8