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Hereditary Retinal Disorders at the German Parliament in Berlin

A parliamentary evening with guests from politics, science, patients and industry organized by the project "HOPE"

HOPE' is a disease-specific network for rare diseases funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in a first funding period from 2009 until 2012. The promising results of the first funding period resulted in a continuation of funding for the next 3 years (second period 2012 - 2015).

Research of the 7 participants of the HOPE project focuses on hereditary retinal disorders, a heterogeneous group of mostly rare ocular diseases, with impaired light sensing and/or signal transmission within the neuroretina that causes loss of visual acuity, elevation of detection thresholds, constrictions or defects of the visual field and/or colour vision defects. The pathology affects the photoreceptors, the retinal pigment epithelium and/or the processing and transmitting first order neurons.

Approximately 30.000 people in Germany are affected.

Blindness results in loss of life quality, high risks for accidental injury and tremendous socio-economic costs associated with generally normal life expectancies of the patients. There is currently no effective cure available. The advanced knowledge in human genetics, the combination and correlation of multiple imaging technologies with visual function analysis, the direct accessibility of the neuroretina for non-invasive electrophysiological and imaging technologies and the immune-privileged status of the eye favour the development of conceptually new diagnosis and therapy in the next few years.

The movie of "Hereditary Retinal Disorders at the German Parliament in Berlin" (in German)

Impressions

Thomas Rachel, MdB
Bernd Wissinger
Franz Badura
Klaus Rüther
Johann Roider
Olaf Riess
Günther Haaf
Thomas Wheeler-Schilling and the Grashopper Team

All images © Christine Burkart / grasshopper films