Breakthrough over eyesight threat

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A Belfast university has made a breakthrough which could reduce the risk of sight loss.

Queen's University researchers said they are now able to more accurately identify those at risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The findings have been presented by Professor Anne Hughes at the British Society for Human Genetics Conference in York.

They have been published in the medical journal Nature Genetics.

AMD is the most common cause of sight loss and blindness in older people, affecting almost 10% aged over 75.

Genetic factors and smoking contribute to its development, according to scientists.

'Difficult genetic puzzle'

The QUB research was carried out with ophthalmology patients at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

It found that individuals with a deletion of two key genes are at lower risk of developing AMD.

Professor Hughes said she was "very pleased to have solved a complex and difficult genetic puzzle".

"This helps us to identify more accurately those at risk of developing AMD.

"There is hope for development of a preventative treatment based, perhaps, on gene silencing.

"It is important to state that it does not give hope of a cure to those affected by AMD at the moment, but there is potential to save the sight of others in the future. Without the cooperation of the patients at the ophthalmology clinics in the RVH, we could not have made this discovery."