What Did the Research Discover?
Cataracts are a leading cause of vision loss worldwide, affecting millions of people. As people age, the risk of developing cataracts increases, and while surgery is effective, it is expensive and not always available in all areas. Because of this, researchers are looking for medications that could help prevent or treat cataracts without surgery.
In this study, scientists screened different drugs to see if they could help dissolve the protein clumps in the lens that cause cataracts. They focused on several compounds, including lanosterol and 25-hydroxycholesterol, which had previously shown promise in reversing lens cloudiness in laboratory studies. To test this, researchers used an advanced screening system that evaluated how well different drugs could dissolve these protein aggregates in human and animal lens tissues.
The study found that lanosterol and its modified versions were particularly effective in breaking down these protein clumps. Researchers also tested rosmarinic acid, which showed potential for restoring lens clarity by preventing protein misfolding. Some of these drugs were able to partially reverse cloudiness in the lenses of animals, suggesting that cataracts might not be a permanent condition if the right treatment is found.
How Can I Apply This Information?
This research suggests that cataracts might be treatable with medications in the future, offering an alternative to surgery. Scientists have identified several compounds that could help clear cloudy lenses by breaking down the protein clumps that cause cataracts. However, these treatments are still in the experimental stage and have not yet been approved for human use.
If you are at risk for cataracts, protecting your eyes from UV exposure, maintaining a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, and managing conditions like diabetes may help slow their development. While surgery remains the best treatment for cataracts today, ongoing research into drug-based treatments offers hope for more affordable and accessible options in the future.
This study is part of a growing effort to find new ways to treat cataracts without surgery. More research is needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of these potential medications in humans.
Source:
Xu J, Fu Q, Chen X, Yao K. Advances in pharmacotherapy of cataracts. Annals of translational medicine. 2020 Nov;8(22):1552. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7729355/
