A team of ophthalmologists at the University of Liverpool (United Kingdom) has become the first in the world to image geodesic structures called Cross-linked Action Networks (Clans), inside the human body. They are formed from the components that maintain the structure of individual cells and are known to change the shape, function and lifecycle of cultured cells.

Clans cause cells to become rigid. This prevents them from working as they should. There is a strong possibility that they could also play a part in glaucoma. If further research confirms that Clans are present in the part of the eye affected by glaucoma, it could well lead to new treatments for this disease.

Professor Grierson who is leading the research team said: "It had been predicted that the search to determine whether Clans existed inside the eye would take our team six months to complete, but unequivocal confirmation eventually took three years!”

He added: “Taking into consideration the size of the structures we are looking at, one can fully understand why it took so long; the Clans can be as thin as one micrometer, that’s one thousandth of a millimetre. There was of course the problem of discovering the best technique to view the Clans, not easy if you don't know whether they actually exist.”

Professor Grierson and his team are now working to understand the reasons why Clans form.

More than 65 million people worldwide, mainly elderly, have glaucoma.