Glaucoma gene breakthough

The link between a specific gene and the development of glaucoma became a little clearer this week.

It has long been known that gene WDR36 had some influence on development of the disease but no one was sure why some carriers of the gene developed the disease while others didn't. Dr Michael Walter and his team at the University of Alberta have identified that WDR36 does not work alone but rather will only express when other genes, such as ST11 express also.

Walter believes there are other genes also which must mutate before WDR36 causes glaucoma. 'Our results suggest that glaucoma is polygenetic,' stated Walter in this month's Journal of Human Molecular Genetics. 'Only 10 per cent of glaucoma cases are caused by known genes, so the genes involved in this polygenetic interaction may help to explain the other 90 per cent. If we can understand who gets glaucoma, then we're in a much better place to prevent it.'