Barbados to benefit from new testing for genetic eye diseases

Barbadians now have access to testing for genetic eye diseases, as it is readily available on the island for the first time.

Dr Charles Pierce is the pioneer behind bringing the testing to the island, after realising the need for more accurate diagnosis in eye diseases among the population.

“There has always been this gap in terms of diagnosis of inherited eye disease. Sometimes you can say “this looks like something, but we’ve never had a genetic confirmation. That is something I want to move forward,” Pierce said.

Pierce has more than 15 years’ experience in the field, having worked in Barbados and the United Kingdom (UK).

Having studied Ophthalmology in the UK, zoning in on diseases affecting the back of the eye, his curiosity was piqued as to what genes are responsible for causing inherited diseases in the Caribbean. There has not been a test on the island, to allow families to know their status as it relates to inherited diseases.

“We are moving into an era of personalized medicine where we can look forward to treat inherited  eye diseases but only if we know the genetic cause. Without this information,  we’re never going to have treatments tailored for people in the Caribbean,” Pierce said.

“In a lot of countries, diagnosis is based on testing patients to identify the gene causing the problem. I wanted to bring that to Barbados.”

Testing for genetic eye diseases in Barbados will allow for a more accurate understanding of the genetic abnormalities and how prevalent they are across the island. Through a simple swab of the mouth, the saliva collected can be analysed for testing.

“The hope is that more people will be able to get a definitive diagnosis. We can hopefully build a library of the different genetic abnormalities that are in our population,  leading  to more research and insight to treatments in the future,” Pierce said.

Persons with an inherited eye disease can experience night blindness and changes to central vision. Currently, patients with low vision manage their disease through habit changes such as wearing of shades, magnification and enlargement of fonts on smart devices.

(PR)