Abstract: Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is an important pathological mechanism of blinding neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA), the key regulator of angiogenesis, not only mediates the localization and structural remodeling of the capillary plexus during normal eye development by binding to its tyrosine kinase receptor, but also promotes pathological angiogenesis and leakage. Recent studies has proved that stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) mediates the chemotaxis of immune cells such as endothelial progenitor cells and macrophages by binding to its C-X-C chemokine receptor type (CXCR) 4 and CXCR7. It also directly activates signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT/ERK in endothelial cells to promote endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, thereby regulating the development of pathological choroidal neovascularization and induces endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition of endothelial cells (EndoMT) to promote subretinal fibrosis. (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2024, 48:  341-348)

Key words: choroidal neovascularization, stromal cell-derived factor-1, C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4, C-X-C chemokine receptor type 7