A team of scientists from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia, have discovered the first evidence of genes involved in Macular Telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), providing researchers with a better way understanding of the disease and potential ways to prevent or stop its progression.
Through the analysis of more than six million genetic markers from patients around the world, the team reportedly identified five key regions — or loci — in the genome most likely to influence a person's risk of developing MacTel.
The analysis also reportedly revealed that people with these MacTel genetic risk loci had changes in their metabolism, specifically in their glycine and serine levels, leading researchers to believe there could be a link between the level of glycine and serine in the body and onset of the disease.
The study was recently published in the journal Nature Genetics.
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Source: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research