Getting Closer to Cataract Treatment without Surgery
Lots of people around the world suffer from visual impairment, such as blurred vision, glaucoma, and cataract
Recently, a new study showed that we're close to non-surgical treatment for cataract
If this becomes real in the future, many patients will be given hope to regain their vision without the invasive solution
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, we have a natural lens, and it bends light rays that come into the eye so we can see
A normal lens is clear while people with cataract have cloudy lenses. Imagine your windshield is dusty, blurry, or hazy
That's how disruptive cataract is, enough to impair one's quality of life
Untreated cataract can lead to blindness, depression, and loss of self-esteem
In the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, researchers presented a compound that could treat cataract without surgery
Although still early in development, it has become a subject of interest in the scientific community
The compound in question is oxysterol, an oxygenated derivative of cholesterol
It is usually involved in the transport and regulation of cholesterol
In the study, researchers tested 35 wild mice and genetically-altered mice to develop lens cloudiness, mimicking cataract
The genetic alterations were on the αB-crystallin or αA-crystallin proteins
In the right eye of 26 mice, the team administered one drop of the oxysterol compound called VP1-001 onto the ocular surface
In the left eye, they administered a neutral drop of cyclodextrin
The remaining nine mice were used as the control group
The target of this research was the mutations in αB-crystallin and αA-crystallin proteins linked to cataract development in aging
Results showed that the compound improved lens opacity for 61% of the treated lenses
The observed improvement was 1.0 in the opacity grade in 46% of treated mice
While the results were promising, experts who weren't part of the study expressed some concerns
University of Rochester Medical Center clinical ophthalmology expert Dr. Haci Ugur Celik said that the research only focused on one cause of cataract
They mean that cataract due to other causes might not be covered by the compound
Patients would still need surgery in the end
Weill Cornell Medicine cataract surgery specialist Dr. Ashley Brissette noted that the study sample won't be enough to change the current standard of care for treating cataract
"[A]lthough [oxysterol] may one day slow or decrease the development of cataracts, it does not improve the refractive error," Dr. Brissette told Medical News Today
More studies are needed to prove the effectiveness of the compound
Larger study groups and rigorous tests will be required to determine how safe it is
But if it ends up lucky in the future, we may get a new treatment for specific cases of cataract
That will help decrease cases worldwide
Are you a sufferer of visual impairment?
Eyeglasses or having a more bothersome treatment?
Share your thoughts in the comment section
'Till our next video! Thanks for watching!