A new blood test is being developed by Australian researchers at The John Curtin School of Medical Research that detects whether a patient is at risk of developing dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Fast and Easy Blood Test for Macular Degeneration?
The research team used a light model to study the deterioration of the retina's photoreceptor cells within the macula. The loss of the photoreceptor cells in the macula is what causes vision loss.
Current diagnosis methods of AMD find the damage to the macula after it has already occurred, and with the damage being irreversible. Researchers hope to begin clinical trials sometime next year.