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Smart Tears Fund
Researcher Marlies Gijs made the groundbreaking discovery that Alzheimer’s disease can be detected through tear fluid. Instead of an invasive...Read more
Securing the future of ‘smart tears’—that is the ambition of the new ‘Smart Tears Fund’, launched by the University Fund Limburg under the coordination of UM researcher Dr. Marlies Gijs. With this new Named Fund, the research team aims to provide long-term financial support for the further development of Marlies’ scientific discovery involving tear fluid.
Researcher Marlies Gijs made the groundbreaking discovery that Alzheimer’s disease can be detected using tear fluid. Instead of an invasive lumbar puncture—a procedure that is not suitable for all patients—a single drop of tear fluid may, in future, suffice. This approach could also enable better monitoring of disease progression. After all, a lumbar puncture is done only once, whereas everyone produces tears. Marlies Gijs’ research has shown that Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed using tear fluid, though this method is not yet available in clinical practice.
The Smart Tears Fund aims to stimulate the development and use of tears for medical applications in order to improve people’s health and wellbeing. The fund specifically focuses on the three Ps of modern medicine: personalised, predictive, and preventive. This means that tear fluid is used to detect diseases early, predict how they will develop, and tailor treatments to the patient’s personal situation. This is achieved by supporting research into substances (known as biomarkers) in tears that may provide insights into eye diseases, neurological disorders, and other health conditions.
In 2024, Marlies launched a crowdfunding campaign—including the organisation of an art auction—to raise awareness and donations for her groundbreaking research. Due to the campaign’s great success and strong interest from a wide range of societal stakeholders to support her research ambitions, it was decided to establish a Named Fund for the future. The University Fund Limburg looks forward to continued collaboration with Marlies and her supporting partners.
Dr Marlies Gijs is a biochemist and university lecturer at the University Eye Clinic of Maastricht UMC+. She is fascinated by tears, which she believes are not only a valuable source of disease-specific substances but also hold the key to other unique insights. For example, newborn babies cry without producing tears. Gijs is also the founder of the Tear Research Network, which brings together ophthalmologists and scientists from around the world who are involved in tear fluid research. She is particularly interested in what the eye can reveal about neurological disorders and was the first researcher in the world to detect Alzheimer’s in tear fluid.
