Projects
The ORBITAL Project focuses on developing innovative technologies to treat diseases of the back of the eye, such as diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which are some of the main causes of blindness and severe vision impairment in elderly patients in Europe.
Summary: Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye are increasing considerably, in part due to an ageing population. One such disease, Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in patients over sixty, accounts for almost 10% of blindness worldwide. Its predicted global incidence for 2020 is 196M, rising to 288M in … Read More
Chronic retinal diseases are the leading contributor to visual impairment and blindness that are potentially the most devastating health problem worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that globally about 285M people are visually impaired, of which 39M are blind and 246M have low vision. Diseases that originate in the posterior segment (PS) or back of … Read More
Chronic retinal diseases are the leading contributor to visual impairment and blindness that are potentially the most devastating health problem worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that globally about 285M people are visually impaired, of which 39M are blind and 246M have low vision. Diseases that originate in the posterior segment (PS) or back of … Read More
There is a clear unmet clinical need for efficient, safe, non-invasive and patient-friendly strategies for the treatment of prevalent diseases of the posterior segment of the eye. With a uniquely qualified, and outstanding collaborative network of European and global experts, from academic, clinical and industrial sectors, the ORBITAL project is an integrated and complementary network … Read More
Cataract is the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40 and is the principal cause of blindness in the world. Due to the increase of longevity, it is predicted that the number of people with cataract increases both in developed and developing countries. Surgical procedure at clinical conditions for treatment of cataract involves the removal … Read More
There is an unmet clinical need to develop effective treatments for blindness due to retinal dysfunction. Notably, in Europe, 0.7 million citizens are considered blind and an additional 34 million citizens affected by vision loss. This translates to 123 million workdays lost per year and an annual economic cost to European society of €7.1 billion. … Read More
Diabetes is a highly prevalent disease that affects nearly 10% world population and is characterized by severe acute and chronic complications. Affectation of ocular structures may lead to retinopathy, papilopathy, glaucoma, cataracts and corneal damage, with an increased risk of loss of vision. Current pharmacological strategies involve prevention of sorbitol accumulation, vascular proliferation and inflammatory … Read More
Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye are increasing considerably, in part due to an ageing population. One such disease, Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in patients over sixty, accounts for almost 10% of blindness worldwide. Its predicted global incidence for 2020 is 196M, rising to 288M in 2040. … Read More
Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye are increasing considerably, in part due to an ageing population. One such disease, Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in patients over sixty, accounts for almost 10% of blindness worldwide. Its predicted global incidence for 2020 is 196M, rising to 288M in 2040. … Read More
Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye are increasing considerably, in part due to an ageing population. One such disease, Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in patients over sixty, accounts for almost 10% of blindness worldwide. Its predicted global incidence for 2020 is 196M, rising to 288M in 2040. … Read More
Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye are increasing considerably, in part due to an ageing population. Typical treatment involves regular injections into the eye, which is associated with significant patient discomfort and potentially serious side effects, including bleeding, infection and retinal detachment. As such, there is an unmet clinical need for the development … Read More
Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye are increasing considerably, in part due to an ageing population. Among them, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma are the most common cause of blindness, affecting the retina. Treatment of posterior segment diseases involves regular injections into the eye, which is associated with significant patient discomfort … Read More
The topical treatment of eye diseases shows great advantages such as ease of administration, good patient compliance and cost effectiveness, but it still has drawbacks in great loss of drug and low bioavailability in deeper ocular tissues. Nanomedicine has great potential for the improvement of ocular administration: size of carriers and their surface characteristics are … Read More
The principal causes of visual impairment and blindness in the world population are age-related ocular diseases including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, United Nations estimates that the proportion of European population aged over 60 will be of 35% by 2050. Consequently, there is a need for new diagnostic as well as … Read More
Diseases of the posterior segment of the eye are increasing considerably, in part due to an ageing population. One such disease, diabetic retinopathy, is the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults. Typical treatment involves regular injections into the eye, which is associated with significant patient discomfort and potentially serious side effects, including bleeding, … Read More