Mega-analysis identifies gene variants associated with glaucoma in people of African ancestry
A Penn Medicine analysis aims to fill knowledge gaps and help guide clinical decisions for a group particularly vulnerable to developing glaucoma.
A new analysis focusing specifically on people of African ancestry identifies three gene variants that may be contributing to this population’s susceptibility to developing and being blinded by glaucoma. People of African ancestry are five times as likely as others to develop glaucoma and up to 15 times as likely to be blinded by the condition, but the vast majority of research has used data from people of European ancestry. Led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, the study is published in Cell.
“Our work is an important step toward defining subgroups of glaucoma, providing the capability for early screening, and discovering targetable pathways for personalized therapeutic interventions,” says study author Rebecca Salowe, a research project manager in the lab of senior author Joan O’Brien, a professor of ophthalmology and director of the Penn Center for Genetics of Complex Disease.
Involving more than 11,200 people of African ancestry, the new study uncovers two particular variants that correlated with primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of glaucoma, which is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
In addition to identifying these two variants as “likely causal” of glaucoma, a third variant is also identified, which is associated with cup-to-disc ratio, a measure of glaucoma severity.
On the move: Water quality and antimicrobial resistance testing goes mobile
Penn researchers have developed a mobile field laboratory allowing them to test water quality and track antimicrobial resistance in and around San Cristóbal in the Galápagos.
Penn researchers Vanessa and Alexis North are studying one of the largest collections of Egyptian blue objects ever found in the ancient Near East, shedding new light on how the world’s first synthetic pigment may have traveled far beyond Egypt.
A new role for dental providers? Rethinking where vaccines are given
Vaccinations have traditionally been administered in primary care settings or pharmacies. However, for about a decade, some states have authorized dentists to administer vaccines, and many others did so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effectiveness of this approach has led some countries and states to expand or consider expanding the role of dental providers in delivering routine vaccines, including those against COVID-19 and the human papillomavirus (HPV), and in providing vaccine education.
Penn student develops a way for computer chips to run more efficiently
Fluid Silicon, a platform from President’s Sustainability Prize winner Nhlanhla Mavuso, allows computer chips to continuously monitor their health and self-tune as their characteristics change. The technology has the potential to reduce energy usage in data centers and improve reliability in mission-critical applications.
