FRCRnet (French Retina Clinical Research Network) is the first national clinical research network dedicated to retinal diseases. It brings together 30 public and private centers of expertise around a common goal: to conduct collaborative research of the highest quality in order to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and management of the leading causes of retinal-related visual impairment—namely, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and pathological myopia.
FRCRnet, the French clinical research network on retinal diseases
Retinal diseases are currently one of the leading causes of visual impairment worldwide. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and pathological myopia alone account for a major portion of the global visual burden and require the development of large-scale, coordinated research strategies.
Accredited by F-CRIN since 2018, FRCRnet brings together the leading French players in clinical retina research to accelerate the generation of knowledge, evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic innovations, and improve care for patients with retinal diseases.
The network currently brings together 30 public and private centers of expertise, clinical research centers, epidemiology and imaging teams, and experts in health data analysis. This structure makes it possible to conduct large-scale multicenter studies, develop national cohorts and infrastructure, and promote innovative approaches combining imaging, artificial intelligence, and real-world data.
By fostering collaborations among researchers, clinicians, and academic partners, FRCRnet contributes to the national and international influence of French research in the field of retinal diseases.
Organization
Coordinated by Prof. Marie-Noëlle Delyfer (Bordeaux University Hospital) and Michel Pâques (CHNO des 15/20, Paris), FRCRnet is governed at the national level by a scientific coordination committee, a dedicated operational team, and the directors of the partner centers.
The network brings together 30 expert centers covering the entire French territory, including university and non-university hospitals, clinical research centers, and several private referral centers. This organizational structure facilitates patient recruitment, the standardization of protocols, and the conduct of large-scale multicenter studies.
FRCRnet also relies on close collaborations with major players in vision research, notably the French Retina Society (CFSR), the French Institute of Myopia (IFM), the Institute of Vision (IDV), and the European Eye Epidemiology (E3) consortium.
The coordination team is responsible for setting up and monitoring projects, providing scientific leadership for the network, securing funding, and developing academic and industrial partnerships. This structure enables FRCRnet to provide an effective environment for conducting clinical trials, national cohort studies, and innovative projects integrating clinical data, imaging, and artificial intelligence.
Cartographie des centres FRCRnet
Scientific Expertise
FRCRnet's activities span the entire continuum of research on retinal diseases, from epidemiology and pathophysiology to clinical trials and real-world evaluation.
The network develops research programs in three priority areas: diabetic retinopathy, myopia and high myopia, as well as age-related macular degeneration. These research areas benefit from a cross-disciplinary approach drawing on complementary expertise in retinal imaging, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and public health.
FRCRnet has recognized expertise in multimodal imaging, including OCT, OCT angiography, ultra-wide-field imaging, adaptive optics, and new retinal phenotyping technologies. The network also participates in the development of innovative biomarkers to improve diagnosis, monitoring, and personalized treatment.
Its teams coordinate or contribute to large clinical and population-based cohorts as well as national and international multicenter trials. They are also developing data infrastructures that enable the secure use of real-world data and the implementation of large-scale federated analyses.
At the intersection of clinical research, technological innovation, and artificial intelligence, FRCRnet contributes to the development of new diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic approaches aimed at sustainably improving the care of patients with retinal diseases.
Completed Projects and Notable Achievements
Since its inception, FRCRnet has contributed to several major advances in the field of retinal diseases.
In the field of diabetic retinopathy, the network has organized a national research program focused on capillary telangiectasias (TelCaps), a common cause of chronic macular edema. The multicenter TalaDME study, funded by a national PHRC, enrolled 150 patients across 14 expert centers and generated original data on the benefits of targeted laser treatment. This program led to the development of the first national expert consensus on the management of TelCaps, published in 2025, as well as the creation of a European expert group dedicated to this topic.
The network also draws on key national cohorts such as EVIRED, dedicated to diabetic retinopathy. Thanks to its prospective, multicenter recruitment, longitudinal follow-up, and multimodal imaging data, this cohort offers new opportunities for the development of collaborative projects, particularly in the field of predictive biomarkers and artificial intelligence.
In AMD, the network also draws on several internationally recognized reference cohorts, such as ALIENOR, POLA, and MONTRACHET, which have significantly contributed to advancing our understanding of risk factors, biomarkers, and the natural history of retinal diseases, particularly AMD. FRCRnet has thus contributed to the development of deep learning (AI) algorithms to automatically extract relevant clinical information from fundus photographs (DeepAlienorNet), paving the way for new tools to aid in diagnosis and screening.
Beyond its scientific achievements, FRCRnet has gradually built a true national research infrastructure capable of bringing together public and private centers, coordinating ambitious multicenter projects, and fostering the emergence of new academic and industrial collaborations.
Current Projects
FRCRnet currently coordinates several flagship programs covering all of its thematic areas.
In the field of diabetic retinopathy, the multicenter TELAPULSE trial (coordinated by Laurent Kodjikian, Lyon) will evaluate the efficacy and safety of micropulse laser therapy compared to conventional laser therapy in the treatment of capillary telangiectasias associated with macular edema.
In the field of myopia, two complementary international projects are working together. The national CLEMENCE cohort (coordinated by Marie-Noelle Delyfer and Cécile Delcourt, Bordeaux) is studying the genetic and environmental determinants of myopia in children in order to develop population-level prevention strategies. The PREMYOM program (coordinated by Aude Couturier and the Institute of Myopia), meanwhile, aims to slow the progression of myopia in children who already have the condition and to develop personalized treatment approaches.
In AMD, the EFFI-SAFE project (coordinated by Catherine Creuzot-Garcher, Dijon) represents a major step toward the implementation of national analyses based on real-world data. This program is developing federated analyses that combine multiple health data repositories to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-VEGF treatments in clinical practice and to lay the groundwork for the future national retinal data infrastructure.
Finally, FRCRnet is involved in the development of new approaches based on artificial intelligence, imaging biomarkers, and advanced phenotyping technologies, with the goal of positioning France among the European leaders in clinical retina research.
Contact the network
To learn more about the network, visit
- their website: https://frcrnet.org
- on their LinkedIn page: FRCRnet | LinkedIn
You can also contact the network via the contact form: Contact | FRCRnet
Network Partners
- Bordeaux University Hospital
- CHNO des 15-20
- Dijon University Hospital
- Lariboisière Hospital
- Adolphe ROTHSCHILD Foundation Hospital
- Necker Hospital
- Montpellier University Hospital
- Strasbourg University Hospital
- HCL
- Toulouse University Hospital
- Nantes University Hospital
- Vision Institute
- French Institute of Myopia
- University of Bordeaux
- University of Burgundy
- University of Lyon 1
- Panthéon-Sorbonne University Paris 1
- University of Nantes
- University of Strasbourg
- INSERM
- Bordeaux Population Health
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Health Agency
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine Academic Region
- Ministry of National Education
- Asso-OVR.fr
- UNADEV
- CFSR
- F-CRIN
- Fondation de France
- Bordeaux University Foundation
- European Eye Epidemiology
- HAMA
- SHIVA
- MediTwin
- EVIRED
- Ramsay Santé Pole Paris
