Project description
Pioneering regenerative therapy for glaucoma
Glaucoma is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by optic nerve damage and the death of retinal ganglion cells, which relay visual information from the eye to the brain. It is the world’s second leading cause of blindness, and current therapies mainly target intraocular pressure but cannot restore lost vision. The ERC-funded POPEYE project will design a pioneering regenerative therapy that will promote functional recovery. The therapy uses synthetic peptides to stimulate axon regeneration and neural circuit reconstruction. It represents the first attempt to repair and rewire the optic nerve in glaucoma with high precision, providing hope for millions of patients worldwide.
Objective
Vision enables 70% of our sensorial interactions with the outside world, making blindness a devastating condition with profound impact on quality of life. Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness globally after cataracts, affects over 80 million people worldwide, including more than 1 million in France alone. The disease impacts approximately 2% of the population over 40 years old and 10% of those over 70. With an aging global population, these numbers are projected to rise significantly in the coming years.
Glaucoma is fundamentally a neurological disorder characterized by optic nerve degeneration and death of Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGC), the crucial neurons that transmit visual information from the eye to the brain. The primary treatment approach focuses on lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) through medications like prostaglandins and beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists, or through surgical intervention. However, these treatments are purely preventative - they can only protect remaining healthy neurons and slow disease progression. They cannot reverse existing damage to the optic nerve or prevent RGC death in advanced cases. Moreover, not all forms of glaucoma are associated with elevated IOP, leaving some patients without effective treatment options. POPEYE introduces a groundbreaking approach to treating glaucoma that represents a significant departure from existing therapeutic strategies. Our innovation lies in developing a first-in-class therapeutic that directly promotes functional recovery through axon regeneration and proper neural circuit reconstruction.
The cornerstone of our innovation is the novel use of synthetic peptides to promote both axon regeneration and precise pathfinding. This dual action mechanism distinguishes our approach from all existing regenerative approaches, which have struggled with axon targeting accuracy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75654 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.