CA24105 - Enabling Translation of Retinal Disease Diagnosis and Therapies: A Roadmap for Future (Retina4Future)

Retinal diseases are significant contributors to visual impairment, imposing a substantial global economic and well-being burden. Once retinal degeneration occurs, there are currently no therapeutic solutions that can completely cure retinal diseases. It is imperative to prioritize efforts aimed at accelerating European research translation in the field of retinal disease therapies. This includes improving early diagnosis, enhancing retinal imaging tools and functional diagnostics, and identifying new structural, functional, and molecular biomarkers for disease and its progression. Additionally, it is crucial to develop innovative therapeutic approaches for the early stages of these diseases to prevent their progression into severe forms that could compromise vision. These developments have the potential to control the progression of retinal diseases before they adversely affect vision.

The primary objective of Retina4Future is to expedite the translation of European vision research into novel biomarkers and advanced therapies for retinal diseases. This will be achieved by establishing a research and innovation network and promoting interdisciplinary research. To accomplish this, the network will encompass a diverse group of contributors, including basic and clinical researchers, clinicians, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), patient organizations, ethics experts and policymakers.

The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life and healthcare for patients and their families while also fostering the career development of young researchers and innovators. This COST will benefit clinical, social, and economic sectors in Europe.