Glaucoma Study

IS THE KEY TO BETTER GLAUCOMA CARE IN YOUR GENES?

Your genetics influence how likely you are to develop a host of diseases. Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, is no exception.

Doctors can use a measure called a polygenic risk score (PRS), which combines the effects of several genes, to assess a person’s risk for glaucoma.

Now, innovative researchers at the John A. Moran Eye Center want to find out if higher PRS scores correlate to the key risk factor of glaucoma: elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP fluctuation. The answer could help patients, their family members, and doctors make better treatment decisions to manage IOP in the course of treating a lifelong disease with no cure.

Scientists from Moran’s Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation plan to conduct a PRS study with glaucoma patients who have used or are currently using the iCare HOME2 to monitor their IOP daily. Participating patients would complete a saliva test to determine their PRS, which would then be compared to IOP records.

“If we find a correlation, this could be a game changer for glaucoma patients and even their loved ones,” explains physician scientist Barbara Wirostko, MD, FARVO. “Glaucoma causes irreversible blindness as it destroys the optic nerve. We want to have the best information possible to customize care to each patient and control both high IOP and IOP fluctuations before our patients lose vision. This work is already going on in Australia; here at the Moran Eye Center, we can lead the US in this field.”

Donors are needed to help fund saliva testing for the study. Why? The out of-pocket test cost is $350, a barrier for some patients to participate. Data collected from this initial study will be used as support to secure grants to fund a larger study.

Better care starts with research. Thank you for considering a gift in support of this important work.

Physicians leading the study include: