� 16th Retina International World Congress Change our vision:“Bridging the gap from the lab to the patients” 26-27 June 2010- Stresa, Italy PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME* Friday June 25, 201018. 00 –

Change our vision:“Bridging the gap from the lab to the patients”

Friday June 25, 2010

18.00 – 20.00 Registration and Posters set-up
20.30 Traditional Speakers Dinner

Saturday June 26, 2010

8.00 – 9.00 Registration and Posters set-up
8.00 – 9.00 Exhibition and Posters

1st Plenary SESSION: OPENING 9.00 – 10.00
9.00 – 10.00 Welcome address
Assia Andrao, President of Retina Italia
Christina Fasser, President of Retina International
Alfredo Ciccodicola, Coordinator of Congress Scientific Advisory Board
Francesca Simonelli, President of Italian Genetics Ophthalmology Society (SIOG)
Domenica Taruscio, Director of National Centre for Rare Diseases, ISS
Francesca Pasinelli, General Director of Telethon Fondazione onlus (to be confirmed)
National and Local, Institutional representatives;

KEYNOTE LECTURES 10.00 – 11.30

10.00 – 10.45 Retinal Degeneration: lessons from basic research- Alan Bird
10.45 – 11.30 Genes and Gene Therapy - Alberto Auricchio

11.30 – 12.00 Coffee Break, Exhibition and Posters

PARALLEL SESSIONS 12.00 – 13.30

SCIENTIFIC SESSION 1 NEW TOOLS IN CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF RD
12.00 – 12.30 Diagnosis young children - Birgit Lorenz
12.30 – 13.00 Brindging the Gap - Multi Modal Mapping in Retinal Degeneration - Dominik Fischer
13.00 – 13.30 The importance of autoflorescence in assessing retinal degeneration – Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg

PATIENT SESSION 1A Clinical aspects of AMD
12.00 – 12.30 What is new therapy for dry AMD? – Fransceco Bandello
12.30 – 13.00 Causes of AMD – Andrea Sodi
13.00 – 13.30 Vitamins, autoxidants and nutrition – Johanna Seddon

PATIENT SESSION 1B Cinical aspect of inherited retinal degenerations
12.00 – 12.30 Clinical features of juvenile macular degenerations – Francesca Simonelli
12.30 – 13.00 Clinical features of RP – Alan Bird
13.00 – 13.30 Why is genotyping important? – Sandro Banfi

13.30 – 15.00 Lunch, Exhibition and Posters
13.30 - 15.00 Lunch with clinicians and scientists (for the patients, with translators)

PARALLEL SESSIONS 15.00 - 16.30

SCIENTIFIC SESSION 2 New Insight inherited genetic of RD
15.00 – 15.30 DNA diagnostics of inherited vision impairment: bridging the gap between scientific findings & routine patient screening - Frans Cremers
15.30 – 16.00 Diagnostic chip – Bernhard Weber
16.00 – 16.30 Rare inherited retinal degeneration - Andreas Gal

PATIENT SESSION 2A AMD
15.00 – 15.30 OCT in diagnosis and follow-up of AMD - Bruno Lumbroso
15.30 – 16.00 Ongoing treatment trials – Caroline C.Klaver
16.00 – 16.30 Treatment options for wet AMD – Ugo Menchini

PATIENT SESSION 2B Genetics aspect of Inherited retinal degenerations
15.00 – 15.30 Genetics of inherited retinal degenerations – Francesca Torricelli
15.30 – 16.00 Genetic aspects of X-linked retinal degenerative diseases - Alfredo Ciccodicola
16.00 – 16.30 Not only retina. The medical geneticist role in patients with inherited retinal disorders - Cristiana Marchese

Workshop 1A Artificial vision clinical trials in Europe;
Workshop 1B Syndromic retinal degeneration;

16.00 – 16.30 Coffee Break, Exhibition and Posters

2nd PLENARY SESSION: News from ongoing treatment trials 17.00 – 18.30

17.00 – 17.30 CNTF trials in dry AMD and RP – Weng Tao
17.30 – 18.00 Gene therapy for RPE65 – Jean Bennet
18.00 - 18.30 Retinal Prostheses – Eberhard Zrenner
18.30 – 19.00 ASK the Specialist

20.00 GALA DINNER

SUNDAY, June 27th

3rd PLENARY SESSION: Treatment perspective 9.00 - 10.30
9.00 - 9.30 Neuroprotection and antioxidants in RD - Teo Van Veen
9.30 - 10.00 Age - related Macular Degeneration: recent advances - Caroline C. Klaver
10.00 – 10.30 Planned Clinical Trials in inherited RD – Gerald Chader

10.30 – 11.00 Coffee Break, Exhibition and Posters

PARALLEL SESSIONS 11.00 - 13.00

SCIENTIFIC SESSION 3 Macular dystrophies

11.00 – 11.20 Perspective of therapy for Stargardt – Robert Koenekoop
11.20 – 11.40 "Nature, Nurture and Nutrition Influence Macular Degenation: Genes and Environment" - Johanna Seddon
11.40 – 12.00 Immune responses and AMD - Gregory Hageman
12.00 – 12.20 Oxidative damage in AMD – Joe Hollyfield
12.20 – 12.40 Achromatopsia – Eberhard Zrenner
12.40 – 13.00 Cone viability factor – Josè Sahel

PATIENT SESSION 3A The path from cell biology to disease therapy
11.00 – 11.20 EuroVisionNet – the door to European vision research – Eberhard Zrenner
11.20 – 11.40 Good epidemiologic practice in retinitis pigmentosa: from phenotyping to therapy – Francesco Parmeggiani
11.40 – 12.00 How the retina works normally and becames ill – Enrica Strettoi
12.00 – 12.20 Studying mice to understand humans - Enrico Surace
12.20 – 12.40 The long march from molecular biology to therapy – Valeria Marigo
12.40 – 13.00 Stem cells and cell therapy - Robin Ali

PATIENT SESSION 3B The patient's path from diagnosis to treatment
11.00 – 11.20 Differential diagnosis - Andrea Sodi
11.20 – 11.40 ERG and visual field testing - Benedetto Falsini
11.40 – 12.00 New tools to assess visional function (OCT, autoflorescience,etc) – Francesco Testa
12.00 – 12.20 Treatment of macular oedema - Davidina Ghiglione
12.20 – 12.40 Considerations before cataract surgery – Antonio Reibaldi
12.40 – 13.00 Prerequisites to partecipation in treatment trials – Francesca Simonelli

Workshop 2A LCA - ask the specialists;
Workshop 2B Genetics ask the specialist;
Workshop 3A Usher Syndrome - ask the specialist;
Workshop 3B Stem cells in ocular diseases;

13.00 – 14.30 Lunch, Exhibition and Posters
Lunch with clinicians and scientists (for students)

PARALLEL SESSIONS 14.30 – 16.15

SCIENTIFIC SESSION 4 Gene therapy, neuroprotection and stem cells

14.30 – 14.55 The potentials of stem cell therapy – Robin Ali
14.55 – 15.20 Gene therapy – Jean Bennet
15.20 – 15.45 Development of methodologies for systemic drug delivery to the retina - Peter Humphries
15.45 – 16.15 Neurotrophic agents – Weng Tao

PATIENT SESSION 4A Future promises (Prospectives in retinal diseases)

14.30 – 14.50 Perspectives on juvenile macular degenerations – Robert Koenekoop
14.50 – 15.10 Are vitamines always healthy? – Romano Daldini (to be replaced)
15.10 – 15.30 Sleep and visually impaired people – Christian Cajochen
15.30 – 15.50 Candidates for gene therapy – Andreas Gal
15.50 - 16.15 Microperimetry (fundus related perimetry): new tool in diagnosis and rehabilitation of retinal diseases - Enzo M. Vingolo

PATIENT SESSION 4B Rehabilitation
14.30 – 14.55 Intra ocular system for low vision patients – Chiara Pierrottet
14.55 - 15.20 Optical aids – Luigi Fusi
15.20 – 15.45 Rehabilitation strategies in AMD – Monica Varano (to be confirmed)
15.45 – 16.15 Psychological implications of visual impairment - (to be confirmed)

Workshop 4A RP ask the specialist;
Workshop 4B New idea: From bench to.....;
Workshop special

16.15 – 16.45 Coffee Break, Exhibition and Posters

4th PLENARY SESSION : Breaking news and closing remarks 16.45 - 18.30

16.45 – 17.25 Breaking news (stem cell guidelines; channelrhodopsin)
17.25 – 17.45 Perspectives in inherited retinal degenerations - Gerald Chader
17.45 – 18.05 Perspectives in AMD – Joe Hollyfield
18.05 – 18.30 Closing Session



* preliminary programme subject to changes without prior notice