Glossary
A
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
A heart attack that is in the process of occurring.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
A degenerative condition of the macula (central retina) that is the most common cause of vision loss in those age 50 or older. The disease affects more than 10 million Americans.
Angiogenesis
The process by which new blood vessels are formed. Tumor angiogenesis is the growth of blood vessels from surrounding tissue to a solid tumor, a mechanism that is caused by chemicals released by the tumor that fosters tumor vascularization and expansion.
Anticoagulant
A substance that prevents the clotting of blood.
Antiplatelet
A substance that prevents blood platelets from clotting, thereby preventing blood clots.
Atrial fibrillation (AF)
A disorder where the heart’s atria (2 small upper chambers) quiver instead of beating effectively. As a consequence, blood may pool and clot in the heart.
B
Blood clot
Synonymous with thrombus.
C
Clinical trial
A rigorously controlled test in humans of a drug candidate or a new invasive medical device.
Coronary artery disease (CAD)
Narrowing and hardening (atherosclerosis) of the coronary arteries that reduces the flow of blood to the heart muscle. Patients with CAD are at increased risk of developing a heart attack, also known as an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), when a clot forms over an unstable atherosclerotic plaque, severely blocking blood flow.
Coronary heart disease (CHD)
Synonymous with coronary artery disease (CAD).
D
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
A blood clot that forms in the larger veins of the body, most commonly in the leg. DVT is frequently a precursor of a pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT and PE are commonly referred to as venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Diabetic macular edema (DME)
Swelling of the retina in diabetes mellitus due to leaking of fluid from blood vessels within the macula, thereby blurring vision. The macula is the central portion of the retina, upon which daytime vision — needed for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail — depends.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR)
A complication of diabetes caused by damage to the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the working-age population.
E
Embolic stroke
An ischemic stroke in which a clot forms (sometimes outside the brain), then a piece breaks off and is carried by the bloodstream to a different vessel in the brain, where it becomes lodged, cutting off the blood supply to the brain.
Embolism
An embolism occurs when a blood clot breaks loose from its site of formation and travels through the vascular system to a more distal site where it obstructs blood flow.
EMEA
European Agency for Evaluation of Medicinal Products.
F
FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a Rockville, Maryland–based agency responsible for the drug approval process in the United States.
I
Investigational new drug (IND) application
If a new company wants to test a new drug in human patients, an IND application must be prepared and filed with the relevant authority to request authorization to begin human testing of the drug.
Ischemia
The condition where there is reduced or blocked blood flow to a tissue, which leads to ischemic tissue damage.
Ischemic heart disease
A term often used interchangeably with coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease, wherein narrowing and hardening of the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis) leads to inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle.
Ischemic stroke
A stroke caused by an obstruction of the inflow of arterial blood into the brain. There are 2 main types of ischemic stroke: thrombotic stroke and embolic stroke.
K
KULeuven
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
L
LMWH
Low molecular weight heparin.
M
Macular edema
Swelling of the central retina (macula) that is responsible for central vision. This can be caused by diabetic retinopathy, as well as other conditions.
Macular hole (MH)
A macular hole is a small break in the macula, which is located in the center of the eye’s light-sensitive tissue called the retina. The macula provides the sharp, central vision we need for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail. A macular hole can cause blurred and distorted central vision. Macular holes are related to aging and usually occur in people over age 60.
Monoclonal antibody (mAb)
An antibody produced in a laboratory from a single clone that recognizes only one antigen and used as a therapeutic molecule targeting antigens from diseased cells.
Myocardial infarction (MI)
An area of dead or dying tissue in the heart muscle (myocardium) resulting from insufficient or absent blood flow. Synonymous with heart attack.
O
Ophthalmology
The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disorders of the eye.
Orphan drug designation
Special status afforded certain drug candidates with the potential to treat a rare disease or condition.
P
Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD)
Also referred to as peripheral arterial occlusion (PAO) or peripheral arterial disease (PAD). A condition associated with poor blood circulation in the legs that can lead to amputation or death.
Placebo
A medically inert substance given in connection with a controlled, double-blind clinical study.
Placental growth factor (PlGF)
A specific protein in the body that is involved in the stimulation of new blood vessel formation. Although a homologue to VEGF, PlGF binds only to VEGFR-1 (Flt-1), unlike VEGF, which binds to VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2.
Plasmin
A fibrin-digesting substance.
Plasminogen
An inactive enzyme circulating in the blood that may be used to create plasmin.
Plasminogen activator
An enzyme that converts plasminogen into plasmin.
Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD)
The process whereby the vitreous (jellylike substance that fills the center of the eye) detaches, or peels off, from the back of the eye, away from the retina.
Preclinical trial
A laboratory test of a new drug candidate or a new invasive medical device that is conducted on animals or in cell cultures to gather evidence justifying a clinical trial in humans.
Pulmonary embolism (PE)
Pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot that has formed elsewhere in the human body dislodges from its site of formation and travels to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs, where it causes obstruction of blood flow. PE and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are commonly referred to collectively as venous thromboembolism (VTE).
S
Stroke
A stroke occurs when an artery carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a blood clot or bursts.
T
Thrombocytopenia
Low platelet concentration in the blood.
Thrombolysis
The dissolution (breaking up) of a blood clot (thrombus).
Thrombolytic
A pharmaceutical that can break up blood clots blocking the flow of blood to specific tissues.
Thrombosis
The formation of a blood clot locally within a blood vessel.
Thrombotic disease
A disease resulting from the formation of a blood clot in an artery or vein that obstructs vascular blood flow in a certain part of the body, such as the brain, heart, or lungs.
Thrombotic stroke
An ischemic stroke that involves clots that form in the brain.
Thrombus
A blood clot.
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
An enzyme that exists in the human body and plays a role in the dissolution of blood clots.
V
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
A specific protein in the body that is involved in the stimulation of new blood vessel formation. The predominant receptors that VEGF binds to are called VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (Flk-1).
Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
Obstruction or occlusion of a vein from a clot in the vascular system. VTE is used to refer collectively to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
VIB
Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology.