New Research Supported by Research to Prevent Blindness Finds New Biomarker for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, along with collaborators from the University of Iowa, have discovered a genetic biomarker that is associated with age-related macular degeneration and delayed rod-mediated dark adaptation – the first visual function for incident AMD in older adults with normal macular health and early AMD.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AMD is a major cause of blindness worldwide and is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness for Americans age 65 years and older.
Professors Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D., and Christine Curcio, Ph.D., say there are no current proven strategies for preventing AMD or stopping its progression early in the disease when sight could be saved. Two of the strongest genetic associations for age-related macular degeneration are common polymorphisms – variants in DNA sequence – at chromosome 1 (CFH) and chromosome 10 (ARMS2)...