Genetic risks for AMD in Australians of Northern and Southern European origin

Luba Robman, MBBS, PhD Centre for Eye Research Australia, The University of Melbourne

Summary

This study will investigate whether the risk of AMD, which is pre-determined by genes, can be modified by changes in diet. The study will genotype AMD cases and controls from a large Australian cohort of participants of Anglo-Celtic and Mediterranean origin to define genetic risk for AMD.

Project Details

This study will investigate whether the risk of AMD, which is pre-determined by genes, can be modified by changes in diet. The study will genotype AMD cases and controls from a large Australian cohort of participants of Anglo-Celtic and Mediterranean origin to define genetic risk for AMD. They will identify the AMD genes in elderly from this cohort (about 8,000 people), and correlate genetic status of the participants with their dietary history and condition of the retina. This might be a first step towards personalized medical care, based upon knowledge of susceptibility to a disease using genetic and other risk factor information.