Discovered a mutant gene that causes glaucoma

Singapore and international scientists have discovered a mutant gene that contributes to rare glaucoma.

The mutant gene causes glaucoma

According to the study, the CACNA1A mutation gene is thought to affect calcium transport channels in the body, causing blockages in the eyeball and can lead to glaucoma. Currently about 1% of Singaporeans suffer from this disease.

Check eye pressure for a patient.(Source: Reuters)

Professor Aung Tin of Singapore National Eye Center said: "With this finding, we can develop therapeutic solutions to solve the problem of calcium transmission in the eye to reduce the risk of increased disease. eye pressure. "

However, another researcher who participated in the study, Dr. Khor Chiea Chuen from the Singapore Genome Institute, said scientists could take a decade to find such a drug.

The team took more than 2,000 specimens in Singapore and this is part of a larger study with about 8,400 specimens taken from 17 countries on all six continents.

According to researchers, genes can affect the risk of causing glaucoma . Doctors recommend that families with a history of glaucoma need regular eye examinations, especially those over 50 years of age, so that they can be treated early.