A genetic marker for increased intraocular pressure (IOP) has been found by a team of researchers led by a consultant from Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Scientists believe the discovery could eventually enable more effective identification of people at risk of raised IOP, as well as the development of new treatments for glaucoma.
The findings of the five-year, £2m Genome Wide Association Study were published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics. The study was led by consultant and ophthalmic surgeon Ananth Viswanathan in conjunction with an international group of scientists and ophthalmologists.
Viswanathan said: ‘The identification of the marker represents a significant milestone in the understanding of the genetic basis of glaucoma, the commonest cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
‘A separate group working on glaucoma research also found genes elsewhere on the genome involved in vesicle handling, so an interesting picture is emerging,’ he added.