Largest global genetic glaucoma study to prevent blindness

International research led by QIMR Berghofer has found hundreds of new genes linked to a person’s risk of developing glaucoma, including key genetic targets that could, for the first time, pave the way for treatments that prevent the retinal damage that causes blindness.

The research significantly advances our understanding of the genetics of glaucoma, building on a previous 2021 study to identify another 185 previously unknown genes linked to glaucoma risk, bringing the total number to 312 genes.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally affecting more than 75 million people around the world, including 300,000 Australians. The disease causes pressure from fluid in the eye to build up causing damage to the retina and the optic nerve.

Around 50 percent of all glaucoma cases aren’t diagnosed until permanent optic nerve damage has already occurred, so early diagnosis and treatment is vital.

Lead researcher and internationally-recognised genetic epidemiologist Professor Stuart MacGregor who heads QIMR Berghofer’s Statistical Genetics Laboratory, said the discoveries could rapidly accelerate a new approach to treatment.

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