Researchers from A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) of the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) have discovered a mutated gene that can prevent glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness. The mutation was found to offer a 25-fold protection against Exfoliation Syndrome, an age-related eye disease – the largest ever seen for a common, complex disease.

This is the largest genetic study for glaucoma, involving more than 120,000 individuals from 36 countries across six continents. It was recently published in Nature Genetics.

• Channel NewsAsia: Singapore Tonight: Mutated gene found to prevent glaucoma