Dr Walter Pierpaoli MD PhD
Born in Milano, graduates in Medicine at the University  of Milano in 1960.
Works as assistant and researcher at the Institute of General Pathology and obtains a PhD in Immunology. From 1963 until 1969 occupies the position of Laboratory Director at the Center of Cellular Pathology of the Italian National Research Council in Milano. Moves to Switzerland in 1969 as Head of Neuroimmunology Laboratory at the Swiss Institute of Medical Research in Davos-Platz, where he stays  until 1977.
Director of the NeuroImmuno Modulation (NIM) Laboratory at the University of Zurich until  1980. In 1980 he establishes his own Research Laboratory and Institute for Integrative Biomedical Research  and the INTERBION Foundation for Basic Biomedical Research in Zurich. In 1988 the Institute and the Foundation are moved to Ticino, South Switzerland,. He is now Director of the "Jean Choay Institute for Neuroimmunomodulation" in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. His scientific and clinical activity estends from basic research to clinical studies of new anti-aging interventions and therapies, and a totally new transplantation method based on a  discovery and granted patents. He is author of over 130 publications on refereed scientific journals and organizer of the "Stromboli Conferences on Aging and Cancer" in 1987, 1990, 1993 and 2005. He has also published popular books such as the "Melatonin Miracle", translated into 15 languages and a New York Times bestseller (1995).

2008 - EFFECTS OF MELATONIN IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Department of Fundus Diseases, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, 510060 Guangzhou, China and Jean Choay Institute for Neuroimmunomodulation, Riva San Vitale, Switzerland

Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1057; 384-392, 2005, Fourth Stromboli Conference on Aging and Cancer,
“Reversal of Aging. Resetting the Pineal Clock”

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe visual loss in the aged people. Melatonin has been shown to have the capacity to control eye pigmentation and thereby regulate the amount of light reaching the photoreceptors, to scavenge hydroxyradicals and to protect retinal pigment epithelium (RPEE) cells from oxidative damage. Therefore, it is reasonable to think that the physiological decrease of melatonin in aged people may be an important factor in RPE dysfunction, which is a well known cause for initiation of AMD. Our purpose is to explore a new approach to prevent or treat AMD. We began case control study with a follow-up of 6 to 24 months. One hundred patients with AMD were diagnosed and 3 mg melatonin was given orally each night at bedtime for at least 3 months. Both dry and wet forms of AMD were included. Fifty-five patients were followed for more than 6 months. At 6 months of treatment, the visual acuity had been kept stable in general. Though the follow up time is not long, this result is already better than the otherwise estimated course. The change of the fundus picture was remarkable. Only 8 eyes showed more retinal bleeding and 6 eyes more retinal exudates. The majority had reduced pathologic macular changes. We conclude that the daily use of 3 mg melatonin seems to protect the retina and to delay macular degeneration. No significant side effects were observed.