A major highlight of this year’s DOG 2026 Congress was the success of Pietro De Angeli, from the Institute for Ophthalmic Research (IOR) at the University of Tübingen, and his collaborator Anders Knudsen, who won the OphthalmoPitch with their innovative project RHOligo.

The OphthalmoPitch, held on 25 September 2026 as part of the DOG Innovation Forum, provides a platform for innovative projects, patents and start-ups in ophthalmology that address current unmet medical needs. Five selected projects presented their ideas to a jury representing clinical medicine, research, industry and venture capital, together with the conference audience. The most promising concepts received the DOG Innovation Award.

Not every mutation needs its own answer

Under the title “Not every mutation needs its own answer”, Pietro De Angeli and Anders Knudsen presented RHOligo, a collaborative project between the University of Tübingen and Columbia University (Prof. Tsang´s group), led by Dr. Pietro De Angeli.

RHOligo is based on an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) approach for the treatment of RHO-associated retinitis pigmentosa (RHO-RP). Rather than developing a separate therapeutic strategy for every individual disease-causing mutation in the RHO gene, the project aims to address a broader range of mutations through a targeted and potentially scalable therapeutic concept.

For patients affected by RHO-associated retinitis pigmentosa, such an approach could be highly relevant. RHO is one of the most frequently mutated genes associated with inherited retinal degeneration, yet the genetic diversity of disease-causing variants presents a considerable challenge for the development of mutation-specific therapies.

RHOligo seeks to overcome part of this challenge by developing a therapeutic strategy that can potentially be applied across multiple mutations. This combination of precision medicine, molecular therapy and translational scalability was at the heart of the team's OphthalmoPitch presentation.

From scientific concept towards patients

For Pietro De Angeli and his partner Anders Knudsen, the award represents an important milestone in the development of RHOligo and in the effort to move the project beyond the laboratory towards clinical application.

The OphthalmoPitch jury recognised not only the scientific rationale behind RHOligo, but also its potential to address a significant unmet medical need and its translational and commercial perspective.

The project illustrates how innovative research in inherited retinal diseases can progress from a fundamental scientific observation towards a potential therapeutic application. It also highlights the importance of interdisciplinary and international collaboration in advancing such approaches.

A University of Tübingen – Columbia University collaboration

RHOligo is being developed through a collaboration between the University of Tübingen and Columbia University, bringing together complementary expertise in retinal research, molecular therapeutics and translational medicine.
Pietro De Angeli and Anders Knudsen expressed their gratitude to everyone supporting the project, including Prof. Stephen Tsang, Prof. Eberhart Zrenner, Martin Maier, Hans Kistemaker and Cathaline Den Besten, whose contributions have helped advance RHOligo.

For the Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Pietro De Angeli’s success at DOG 2026 is an excellent example of the translational potential of vision research carried out in Tübingen: from understanding the molecular mechanisms of retinal disease to developing innovative therapeutic strategies that may ultimately benefit patients.

Congratulations to Pietro De Angeli and Anders Knudsen on this important achievement!