The european EYE-RISK project is presented in Berlin
The results of the research project by the European EYE-RISK Consortium, of which the Barcelona Macula Foundation is also a member, have been presented in Berlin at a press conference led by Marius Ueffing, Project Coordinator and Director of the Institute for Ophthalmic Research of the University of Tübingen, and by Franz Badura, Chairman of the PRO RETINA Deutschland association. This study explores the combined role of genetic and non-genetic factors for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The aim of the press conference was to present the results achieved by the first stage of the project and publicise the Consortium’s intention to embark on a second stage to accomplish as much as possible by means of this partnership.
The EYE-RISK project utilises epidemiological data describing clinical phenotype, molecular genetics, lifestyle, nutrition and in-depth retinal imaging derived from existing longitudinal European epidemiological cohorts and biobanks to discover how the relevant individual components interact within a living system.
The presentation emphasised the impact of a project such as EYE-RISK on patients’ everyday lives. The investigators combine, unify and interpret large data sets from extensive European cohorts and biobanks, converting these into novel information which can be used to generate new working hypotheses, calculate an individual’s risk of suffering from AMD, identify drivers of the disease’s manifestation and progression and also develop clinical recommendations.
This systems medicine approach aims to combine genetic and environmental studies, including an analysis of over 40 genetic variants and environmental factors (diet, lifestyle, etc.) in order to develop individual risk models for macular degeneration.
The EYE-RISK consortium is made up of 14 internationally renowned organisations (www.eyerisk.eu) and has been financed by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union.
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