Glaucoma could be detected up to 10 years earlier than currently possible thanks to a new test developed by University College London (UCL) and Western Hospital.
The new technique, named Darc (detection of apoptosing retinal cells), injects fluorescent dye into the blood stream which sticks to damaged retinal cells. Unhealthy cells then appear as white fluorescent spots during an eye examination.
Although tested on just 16 people so far, the technique was able to spot the difference between the eyes of healthy patients and those with glaucoma.
Lead researcher from UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology Francesca Cordeiro said: ‘Although detection has been improving, most patients have lost a third of vision by the time they are diagnosed. Now for the first time we have been able to show individual cell death and detect the earliest signs of glaucoma.’
Cordeiro claimed the test could also be used to diagnose other neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
She added: ‘While we cannot cure the disease our test means treatment can start before symptoms begin.’
Further studies will need to be done to validate the findings but researchers hope it would eventually be possible for optometrists to conduct the tests.
Results of the early clinical trial appeared in the latest issue of the journal Brain.