Saving the eyes of the next generation
Next time you head to the eye doctor, you might be sticking out your tongue.
MaRS incubator tenant Arctic Dx Inc. just announced a saliva-based genetic test — now available from your eye-care professional — that’s designed to determine your inherited risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the western world.
75 to 80 per cent of all AMD has been traced to genes inherited from family members. Until recently, there was no opportunity to determine who may carry these genes or be at risk. Knowing the risk and accessing appropriate care may save the vision of countless individuals who otherwise would not have taken necessary action until it was too late.
ArcticDx will introduce the test in Canada through the company’s exclusive Canadian distribution partner, Clarion Medical Technologies of Cambridge, Ontario.
To read more, check out the press release: Revolutionary Genetic Test Now Available For Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Linda Quattrin was a newspaper reporter and editor before applying her interest in science as communications director at Robarts Research Institute. A member of the Canadian Science Writers Association, she is responsible for media relations and corporate communications at MaRS.
