EYE-RISK

Portrait of Professor Klaver and Professor Ueffing

Prof. Marius Ueffing and Prof. Caroline Klaver

Scientific Coordinators of EYE-RISK, based respectively at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (Germany) and Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam (the Netherlands)

Research field

Eye Disease, Systems Biology

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Who?

“My grandmother had one of the most severe macular degenerations that I ever saw. She was virtually blind the last ten years of her life”, said Caroline Klaver in her inaugural lecture. A Professor of the genetics of eye disorders, she had her own DNA tested for the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Why?

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, affecting more than 18 million Europeans. Therapeutic options are limited and many patients develop severe vision loss. “AMD is a complex disorder. Knowledge of the disease pathways is crucial for developing targeted treatment and prevention programs”, says Caroline Klaver.

What?

Professor Marius Ueffing explains: “AMD is an incurable progressive eye disease. It affects the central part of the retina (the macula), causing loss of vision. The disease arises from a combination of ageing, genetic factors and environmental influences. EYE-RISK aims to identify novel targets for prevention and therapy.”

How?

EYE-RISK will use extensive epidemiologic and molecular data from 58,300 subjects from existing European databases to 1) develop a clinical prediction tool for AMD, 2) characterise risk profiles tailored to subgroups of AMD patients, and 3) identify disease mechanisms at the molecular level.

Finding targets for prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration primarily affects the central part of the retina (macula), causing central vision loss

Image: scene as it might be viewed by an AMD patient, Credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health

Age, genetic risk variants and lifestyle factors such as smoking are the primary risk factors for AMD

Image credit: Ferran Jordà

The risk factors are likely to converge into critical disease pathways, which may distinguish subgroups of patients

Image credit: Sreejith K

EYE-RISK uses genetic, molecular, behavioural, nutritional, clinical, and environmental data from existing cohort studies

Image: eye care professional examines the back of the eye, Credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health

EYE-RISK’s ultimate aim is the identification and validation of novel targets for prevention and therapy

Image: normal vision, Credit: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health

EYE-RISK consortium at the kick-off meeting in London, June 2015

Image credit: EYE-RISK

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EYE-RISK project website WHO Factsheet visual impairment and blindness National Eye Institute: Facts about AMD EUROCONDOR (another European study of eye disease)

PDF version

Background image: Ronn aka 'Blue' Aldaman

Portrait of the project coordinator: EYE-RISK

Timeline (in chronological order): 1855: Ipoliker, 1875: Wellcome Library, London, around 1980: A.C. Bird, 2006: James Cridland