| The visual sense is the most precious of all human senses - its loss
is considered as one of the most severe and dreadful handicaps for human
life quality. Degenerative diseases of the retina (retinopathies) represent
the most prevalent cause of registered blindness in the European society
and will get even more prevalent in our ageing population. At the same
time one is impressed by the ingenious capabilities and properties of
the retina that has evolved to serve its unique function in light perception
and first-order neuronal processing. The focus of the "European Retinal
Research Training Network" ('RETNET') will be to promote and improve
training possibilities in the field of visual neuroscience, molecular
biology of the retina and ophthalmo-genetics and to improve our knowledge
of retinal diseases that will eventually lead to prevention and therapy. |
