Translational Research in Ophthalmology – A European Perspective

Abstract

Loss of vision is a major threat for the ageing European society as its incidence quickly increases with age. While cataract is handled well by microsurgery, other blinding conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, retinal dystrophies, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy cannot be treated well. On the other hand, knowledge about endogenous and exogenous factors increases rapidly in basic research, opening new pathways to therapy. It will be increasingly important to foster translational research to bring such new strategies in genetics, proteomics, metabolomics and new drug delivery systems for neuroprotection, stem cell research and optogenetics from bench to bedside. Adequate funding for this translational research has to be ensured. These goals are strongly supported by the European Vision Institute (EVI) and by the European Vision Institute Clinical Research Network (EVICR.net), a clinical research network that comprises more than 70 certified sites to perform clinical studies in the field of ophthalmology and by the European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN). These developments, their aims and accomplishments are described here.