New test could detect glaucoma before symptoms begin

A pioneering new eye test could spot the early signs of glaucoma and help save the sight of millions of people.

The test allows early diagnosis of the condition so that treatment can start before vision begins to deteriorate.

Glaucoma, caused by the death of retinal cells at the back of the eye, is the biggest cause of permanent blindness and affects 60 million people around the world - a tenth of whom are completely blind.

The new technique also has potential for diagnosing degenerative neurological conditions including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.

Professor Francesca Cordeiro, from University College London's Institute of Ophthalmology, who led the research, said: "Detecting glaucoma early is vital as symptoms are not always obvious.

"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.

"While we cannot cure the disease, our test means treatment can start before symptoms begin. In the future, the test could also be used to diagnose other neurodegenerative diseases."

The test, called Darc (detection of apoptosing retinal cells) uses a special fluorescent marker (known as ANX776) which attaches to cell proteins when injected into patients.

Unhealthy cells appear as white fluorescent spots during an eye examinations that employs equipment routinely kept at hospitals.