Credit: Novai/UCL/Western Eye Hospital A pioneering new eye test, developed by scientists at UCL in collaboration with the Western Eye Hospital, London, may predict wet AMD, a leading cause of severe sight loss, three years before symptoms develop. Researchers hope their test could be used to identify the disease early enough so that treatment can effectively prevent any vision loss. The findings of the study, funded by Wellcome, are published today in Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics. Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), also known as macular disease, is the most common cause of permanent and severe sight loss in the UK.