This book encompasses the proceedings of the XVIII International Symposium on Retinal Degeneration (RD2018), featuring contributions from a majority of the event’s speakers and poster presenters. The symposium focused on addressing the challenges posed by blinding diseases associated with inherited retinal degenerations and age-related macular degeneration, which affect a significant portion of the population, particularly the elderly.
Despite the prevalence of these diseases, effective treatments and cures remain elusive. RD Symposia have gained recognition as the foremost gatherings in the field of retinal degenerations, drawing attendance from leading scientists and researchers biennially, and are widely regarded as the most significant meetings in this domain.
This volume offers a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge research across various aspects of retinal degenerations. Topics covered include cytopathological, physiological, diagnostic, and clinical aspects, animal models, mechanisms of cell death, molecular genetics encompassing candidate genes, cloning, mapping, and other facets, as well as the exploration of potential therapeutic interventions such as gene therapy and neuroprotective agents for potential pharmaceutical treatment.
While the book details advances in these areas, it also anticipates emerging topics, some of which are still in their infancy or did not exist at the time of the previous RD Symposium. These include the roles of inflammation and immunity in age-related macular degeneration, novel aspects of gene therapy, and groundbreaking imaging and functional testing methods that promise to revolutionize the diagnosis and monitoring of retinal degenerations. These innovations will also offer new quantitative endpoints for clinical trials.
The retina, as a part of the central nervous system (CNS), serves as an accessible platform for studying neuroprotective and gene therapies for CNS diseases and neurodegenerative conditions more broadly. It is noteworthy that successful clinical trials in neuroprotection and gene therapy, including the restoration of sight in blind children, have advanced significantly, positioning retinal degeneration therapies at the forefront of efforts to combat neurodegenerations within the CNS. Many of these successes have their roots in collaborations established during previous RD Symposia, with numerous breakthroughs reported during the RD2016 meeting and included in this volume. We anticipate that the excitement generated by those working in the field and individuals affected by retinal degenerations is aptly reflected in the content of this volume.
