Project description DEENESFRITPL Single cell resolution study on the human retina to restore vision after disease Vision commences in the retina, where photoreceptors capture an image and then transmit the information to the brain through the retina circuitry. Most blinding eye diseases emerge from dysfunction in the retina, necessitating delineation of its architecture in health and disease. Using recently developed technologies, the EU-funded HURET project aims to study the human retina in terms of functional diversity and determine the different cell types that compose its neural circuitry. Scientists will identify mechanisms of cell-type vulnerability that cause disease, paving the way for novel interventions for restoring vision in patients with blinding eye diseases. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Vision is of key importance for humans and losing vision has a major effect on day-to-day life. Vision starts in the retina, where an image captured by photoreceptors is processed by retinal circuits built from more than hundred cell types. Information flows from the retina via the thalamus to a number of cortical areas. Despite the large number of cortical neurons involved in vision, most blinding diseases originate in the retina and are cell-type specific. Although the vertebrate retina has a conserved cellular architecture, only a few animal models of visual diseases reproduce the pathology found in humans. Therefore, there is a major need for understanding the healthy and the disease-affected human retina. Recently my laboratory developed a set of new technologies that enable us to study the human retina, to understand its functional architecture and disease mechanism in its cell types, and so to develop therapies. Using these technologies, we first aim to describe the functional diversity as well as the function of ganglion cell types and their circuits in the human retina. Second, we aim to reveal mechanisms of cell-type vulnerability in human and mouse retinas. Third, we aim to provide proof of principle for cell type-targeted near infrared vision restoration in the human retina. Taken together, this study will provide insights into the structure, function, and mechanisms of disease of the cell types in the human visual system and will investigate a new approach to restore vision in patients with blinding diseases. Fields of science medical and health sciencesclinical medicineophthalmologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepathology Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2019-ADG - ERC Advanced Grant Call for proposal ERC-2019-ADG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant Host institution INSTITUT FUR MOLEKULARE UND KLINISCHE OPHTHALMOLOGIE BASEL Net EU contribution € 2 500 000,00 Address C/O UNIVERSITÄTSSPITAL BASEL, AUGENKLINIK, MITTLERE STRASSE 4056 Basel Switzerland See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Nordwestschweiz Basel-Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 500 000,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all INSTITUT FUR MOLEKULARE UND KLINISCHE OPHTHALMOLOGIE BASEL Switzerland Net EU contribution € 2 500 000,00 Address C/O UNIVERSITÄTSSPITAL BASEL, AUGENKLINIK, MITTLERE STRASSE 4056 Basel See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Nordwestschweiz Basel-Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 500 000,00
