The macula represents the retinal region intended for distinct vision. The diseases that affect the macula cause progressive loss of vision, sometimes complete and irreversible. Among the most frequent macular diseases, which also have the greatest socio-economic impact, we recognize age-related macular degeneration and diabetic maculopathy. No less negligible are myopic macular degeneration, hereditary-family maculopathies and vitreoretinal interface syndromes. Diabetic retinopathy is the most important ocular complication of diabetes mellitus and is the leading cause of legal blindness among working-age individuals in industrialized countries. There are, however, epidemiological data from which it emerges that at least 30% of the diabetic population is affected by retinopathy and that, annually, 1% is affected by severe forms of it. Blindness from diabetic retinopathy could be avoided in more than half of cases if correct patient information, adequate forms of health education and early screening were implemented. Current guidelines are mainly aimed at prevention, through the study of etiopathogenetic mechanisms and the identification of risk factors for these diseases and towards the testing of new therapies, such as intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF drugs.

Objectives

1) Study of the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of retinal and choroidal diseases through a multidisciplinary and integrated approach between in vitro experimental models and clinical research

2) Identification and validation of innovative diagnostic procedures for the understanding of the main etiopathogenetic mechanisms of retinal diseases and identification of the main morphological and functional risk factors contributing to the development and progression of diseases.

3) Identification of biomarkers useful for the definition of diagnostic and prognostic factors of response to treatment of the main retinal and choroidal diseases.

4) Identification of effective new therapeutic opportunities and contributing factors to the choice of the most correct therapeutic approach.