August 2022 Eyes/Optics
Tears are best known as an expression of emotion, both happy and sad, but as a fluid secreted by the body, tears contain specific proteins that can be early indicators, or biomarkers, of systemic disease in other body parts. Researchers have found biomarkers in tears for diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases. A study published earlier this year by Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), Tears as the Next Diagnostic Biofluid: A Comparative Study between Ocular Fluid and Blood, compared proteins found in blood plasma with those found in tears.
