Gene discovery may help elderly blindness

PITTSBURGH, Aug 16, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- University of Pittsburgh researchers have found a gene linked to age-related maculopathy, the leading cause of untreatable blindness in elderly people.

The researchers said the discovery suggests a simple test might be able to identify those at risk for what is commonly known as macular degeneration and may lead to more effective preventive strategies.

Researchers found variants of a gene called PLEKHA1 are strongly associated with a person's risk of developing age related maculopathy.

The results -- a culmination of 15 years of research -- will be published in the September issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics and are available online.