Project description
Understanding red light therapy’s effect on child myopia
Myopia causes distant objects to be focused in front of the retina. The underlying excessive eye elongation increases the risk of eye diseases. Low-level red-light (LRL) therapy is a recent method for reducing myopia progression in children, but reports of retinal damage and reduced vision led to safety concerns. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MyReL project will use a guinea pig myopia model to investigate the effects of LRL and design complementary studies in humans to understand the mechanisms, risks, and long-term safety of LRL treatment, as well as ocular changes associated with it. Ultimately, MyReL aims to provide a hazard-free LRL prototype and recommendations for healthy use of screen devices to control myopia progression in children, thereby reducing the related socioeconomic burden.
Objective
Myopia (shortsightedness) represents a mismatch between the eyes length and its dioptric system (refracting power), which results in distant fixated objects being imaged in front of the retina. The underlying problem is typically excessive eye elongation, multiplying the risk of sight-threatening eye diseases. Faced with rapidly increasing myopia prevalence figures worldwide, and associated huge economic burdens, public health systems need more and improved myopia control in children. A recently described, controversial method for reducing myopia progression in children is low-level red-light therapy (LRL), with clinical trials reporting significant effects with daily, short periods of direct retinal red laser light stimulation. However, a recent report of retinal damage and reduced vision, along with inadequate safety monitoring calls its safety into question. MyReL addresses open questions regarding the underlying mechanism, ocular effects, risks and long-term safety of LRL using an established animal (guinea pig) model of myopia and complimentary studies in humans. The interdisciplinary project will allow detailed evaluation of LRL-induced structural and functional changes in myopic guinea pig eyes. Results from the latter will be used to inform a complimentary human study focused on 3 areas, in which choroidal thickness will serve as a biomarker for therapeutic effects: (1) the intensity-dependent dose-response effects of LRL (limited to established safe intensities), (2) short-term effects of ambient red-light exposure, (3) effects of manipulating the spectrum of digital device screens. Plausible outcomes of these novel studies include a prototype for hazard-free LRL, as well as recommendations on optimal spectral settings for digital devices, both aimed at controlling myopia progression in children. In these ways, MyReL will help to prevent severe eye diseases, with a significant positive impact on health and economic sectors, given EUs aging population.
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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.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine ophthalmology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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100 44 Stockholm
Sweden
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