Tears don't just reveal your emotions. New tear test kit can detect several diseases too
Byline: Mini P Thomas
Just a few teardrops can reveal volumes about a range of medical conditions, from cancer to Alzheimer's disease and retinopathies. India has been developing its own tear-based point-of-care diagnostic kit at GROW Research Laboratory in Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru, for which clinical trials are on.
Dr Rohit Shetty, director of Narayana Nethralaya and GROW Research Laboratory, tells Mini P Thomas how tears can revolutionise healthcare.
What makes tears a potential diagnostic tool?
A lot of inflammatory changes happen in the eyes and the body before the onset of diseases and tear analysis can pick them up. Tears can serve as an early warning system, making them an excellent tool for early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and many other inflammatory diseases even before changes manifest in the bones.
Moreover, tear-based tests are non-invasive and less expensive than conventional diagnostic tests.
How do you do tear tests, and when will they be available in the market?
The most straightforward method of collecting tears is by using small pieces of sterile paper. The tear analysis results arrive at your clinic within 90 minutes of collection. We are now in the last leg of certification from the government. And we are hoping that by Feb 2026, the tear-based kits will be commercially available.
Besides RA, what other diseases can tear fluid detect?
Currently, there are no routine predictive markers available for Alzheimer's other than changes seen in an MRI. By the time those changes manifest, it's too late. But we have successfully identified a protein in tears called Tau, which is very specific to Alzheimer's disease. Early detection of these proteins could be crucial to prevent irreversible brain damage.
We are currently collaborating with neurologists to explore how tear analysis might help in early detection and prevention.
We have also done some work on breast cancer and genital, urinary and ovarian cancers using tear samples, where we looked at whether increase in certain secondary factors has a role in early prediction. Tear analysis can play a key role in the management of dry eyes and diabetes as well. Myopia or shortsightedness has reached epidemic proportions in India.
Diagnostic tools using tear samples show potential for detecting children prone to myopia.
How can the teardrop analysis technique prevent myopia in children?
The global rise in myopia cases has become a significant health concern. Tear analysis can detect dopamine levels in tears, which aids in myopia prediction. Children with reduced tear dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, can benefit from sunlight exposure, potentially lowering their myopia risk.
Parents should encourage their kids to spend at least two hours outdoors every day to significantly reduce their risk of myopia.
Studies indicate that elevated dopamine concentrations contribute to better management of myopia.
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is one of the most common causes of blindness in preterm babies. Through tear analysis, we can identify babies who are likely to have ROP by detecting certain biomarkers in their tears, which tell us which of these infants will go into a progression.
This could be a fantastic community-based project in the future.
What about dry eyes, also a significant health concern in India?
It is estimated that by 2030, one in two urban Indians will be affected by dry eye disease, which could affect their quality of life and work efficiency. Often, non-specific medications are prescribed for dry eyes which fail to address the actual immunological changes, leaving the condition untreated. Now, we can detect elevated immuno-inflammatory markers using tear samples and target them with specific eye drops, offering personalised and customised treatment.
Analysis of tear biomarkers enables swift diagnosis, targeted and personalised treatment, and promotes faster recovery. This results in reduced medical expenses and quicker relief for patients.
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