Abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 years old. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a critical role in the development of wet AMD. At present, the main treatment is monoclonal antibodies against VEGF, but the maintenance time is short, and it requires frequent and repeated treatment. Recently with the fast development of gene therapy, soluble VEGF receptor -1 (sFlt-1), which may act as one of the biomarkers of AMD, is gaining more attention. sFlt-1 is the unique endogenous VEGF inhibitor. With the development of AMD, serum sFlt-1 decreases markedly. This article reviewed the molecular structure and pathophysiological function of sFlt-1, its role in the advance of AMD, and the preclinical studies as well as clinical studies about it.

Key words: soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, age-related macular degeneration, gene therapy