Link identified between Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma

UK scientists have shown for the first time that key **proteins** involved in **Alzheimer's disease** are also implicated in **glaucoma**, the major cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Research carried out at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and funded by the Wellcome Trust has also shown that **novel drugs** being trialled for Alzheimer's disease which target this **protein** may be used to treat **glaucoma**. The research team has developed a **new technology** for visualising nerve cell damage in the **retina**, known as Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells. Using this technology, they demonstrated that the protein **beta-amyloid**, which causes the so-called **"plaque" lesions** in the brains of **Alzheimer's** patients, also leads to nerve cell death in the retina. The research is published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA.... Whole article on "Eurekalert":[ http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/wt-lib080207.php]

---