Identification of Glaucoma Gene Furthers Understanding of the Disease
February 24, 2011
It is well-known that the cause of glaucoma is the improper draining of the aqueous humor, which leads to build-up of pressure in the eye. But the mechanics of how that flow works and what causes its breakdown are not well understood, which makes it difficult to develop treatments.
An examination of the genome of beagle dogs with glaucoma has turned up a SNP in a gene that encodes for a protein involved in the integrity of the extracellular matrix of glaucoma-involved cells. It turns out that this gene was highly expressed in the filtration tissue that the aqueous humor passes through, making it a candidate gene for the disease. Additional research will look at the normal function of the gene, and focus on molecular targets for treatment options.
For a press release on the identification of the ADAMTS10 gene SNP click here
For the full text of the study click here
Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science, Marketing and Regulatory
Tap~Root
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