Francesco Bandello is Full Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, Ospedale San Raffaele of Milan and Academic Dean “Corso di Laurea Specialistica/Magistrale in Medicina e Chirurgia” at the University Vita-Salute, Scientific Institute San Raffaele of Milan. Dr Bandello holds positions on many international societies, including President of the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA), President of Academia Ophthalmologica Europea, US National Institutes of Health (NIH) peer reviewer for grant applications (since 2006) and Fellow of the European Leadership Development Programme (EuLDP) of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is a former board member of the Club Jules Gonin, Former Executive Committee Member of The Macula Society, former President of the Italian Society of the Retina (SIR) and a past member of the International Executive Committee Michaelson Symposium, the Subcommittee for Michaelson Award and the Scientific Advisory Board Panel of AMD Alliance International. He is also an executive board member of the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology foundation (ESASO), a member of the Board of Directors of Retina Global and Committee Chair of Vitreoretinal Diseases – Residency Curriculum of International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO). Dr Bandello is Co-Editor of the European Journal of Ophthalmology, Associate Editor of Ophthalmologica and an editorial board member of many journals, including Ophthalmic Research, Acta Diabetologica, European Ophthalmic Review and Retinal Physician. He is the co-author of nine books and has published 291 articles on PubMed journals, mainly related to retinal diseases. Dr Bandello served as a trained principal investigator in several clinical trials performed following International Conference of Harmonization/Good Clinical Practice (ICH/GCP) and mainly concerning age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
Advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of diabetic macular oedema (DMO) have led to the widespread use of corticosteroids and agents targeted against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the treatment of DMO, and this forms the focus of three articles in this edition of European Ophthalmic Review. My colleagues and I present an overview of the use of intravitreal ranibizumab in DMO. Of particular interest is the recent PROTOCOL T clinical study that compares the efficacy and safety of three anti-VEGF agents in DME: ranibizumab, bevacizumab and aflibercept. This study is also discussed in an article by Korobelnik and Wolf, which reviews the use of intravitreal aflibercept in DMO. While anti-VEGF therapy has shown successful outcomes in DME, many consider corticosteroids to be more beneficial in chronic DMO, when VEGF is no longer the primary driver of pathological changes in the eye. An article by Quhill describes real-world experience of the fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant in DMO.
European Ophthalmic Review would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants on this edition. A special thanks goes to our editorial board for their continuing support and invaluable guidance and the biggest thanks are reserved for the expert authors, who spared precious time and effort to produce an interesting selection of articles
