by Joel Harrison
11. October 2010 11:08
Because researchers have recently discovered a gene that causes myopia, making it possible to look for a cure, some scientists predict that such methods of dealing with the condition as glasses and contact lenses will be forgotten in the near future.
Dr Chris Hammond, who supervised the study which led to the discovery, is confident that myopia will be easily treated with eye drops within the next ten years. Finding the right gene took the team 12 years, during which another research centre discovered a second gene that affects the probability of the occurrence of the condition. As Dr Hammond admits, short-sightedness is caused by more than one gene, but ads that his study constitutes an important step towards finding a cure.
The treatment Dr Hammon mentions is supposed to override the environmental triggers that are responsible for the recent of outbreak of myopia in the developed world. However, because it is likely that some people have rare genes that lead to short-sightedness, the researcher believes contact lenses and glasses will not disappear completely any time soon.
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