Precision medicine combines the latest findings in genetic testing and genomic sequencing with the most advanced imaging technology to provide better diagnosis, treatment and outcomes.
Using precision medicine, your doctor can tailor your care based on your genetic profile, the parameters of your disease, your overall health and how you respond to environmental factors. Precision medicine can also help you know your risk of developing certain diseases and conditions before you have them, detect disease in earlier stages, optimize treatment and lead to better outcomes.
The Ohio State Havener Eye Institute pairs clinical care with research and academic advancements at The Ohio State University to enhance precision-based vision care. Scientists and medical researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center study genomic sequences and environmental factors to help identify gene variations and external factors responsible for inherited eye diseases and other conditions that can run in families. Trends can be identified when many people with the same genetic variations have the same disease. The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center uses lab results and data from patients who participate in the Eye Genetics Program to discover new trends in genetic variations and links to diseases.
Discovering more links between genetic variations and diseases means you have better opportunities to know your risk of developing eye diseases through genetic testing, detect an eye disease in earlier stages and receive more targeted treatments to improve your outcomes.
Eye genetics in precision medicine
One type of precision medicine involves genetic testing. Genetic testing can identify if you have any genetic variations that are linked to specific eye diseases, which can occur from both genetic and nongenetic (environmental) factors.
If you have a family member who has a genetic eye disease, you may be at greater risk of developing the same disease. Experts at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s departments of Ophthalmology and Genomic Medicine use genetic testing and genomic sequencing to determine your risk of developing genetic eye diseases.
Learn more about the Eye Genetics Program at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
Technology in precision medicine
Advancements in technology have made it possible to detect eye diseases in earlier stages and provide you with an earlier diagnosis. It allows us to image different layers of the eye with greater clarity in less time and improve patient comfort. The Havener Eye Institute offers some of the latest imaging capabilities in the field, including:
Zeiss PLEX Elite 9000 swept-source OCT angiography
If you have a retinal disease, macular degeneration, vein occlusion, glaucoma or corneal disease, your doctor may use optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to diagnose and monitor treatment of your eye disease.
The Havener Eye Institute is one of a select few institutions in the country with Zeiss PLEX Elite 9000. The Zeiss Plex Elite 9000 is a cutting-edge imaging device that uses OCTA to provide extremely detailed images of the eye. Tissue in different parts of the body has a different makeup based on what kind it is and where it’s located. Similarly, healthy tissue has a different makeup than unhealthy tissue. OCTA detects the natural contrast in different kinds of tissue to capture images of the eye.
Previously, to get an image of your eye, your doctor would have to inject dye into your blood vessels and capture images while the dye was circulating in your eye. OCTA doesn’t require dye injection, allowing for a quicker image capture and decreasing your time in the office while improving your comfort.
OCTA shows blood vessels in the eye at a much higher resolution than previous technologies. Cross-section technology with OCTA lets your doctor see your eye layer by layer and clearly identify where there is damage or disease in your eye. This precision allows your doctor to get much higher-quality images of your eye, increases understanding of your eye disease and helps your doctor better tailor treatments for you.
Advanced nerve and glaucoma imaging (ANGI) network
The Havener Eye Institute is one of fewer than 40 hospitals in the country participating in the Zeiss advanced nerve and glaucoma imaging (ANGI) network. ANGI network connects physicians and researchers who use the Zeiss PLEX Elite 9000 Swept Source OCTA to view aggregated images and data of eye captured in different groups of patients across the country. This partnership accelerates discoveries in disease progression and improves diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for people with genetic eye diseases.