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Comment
. 2015 Jul 30;523(7562):540-1.
doi: 10.1038/nature14629. Epub 2015 Jul 22.

Ophthalmology: Cataracts dissolved

J Fielding Hejtmancik  1
Affiliations
Comment

Ophthalmology: Cataracts dissolved

J Fielding Hejtmancik. Nature. .

Abstract

Mutations underlying hereditary cataracts in two families impair the function of an enzyme that synthesizes the lens molecule lanosterol. The finding may lead to non-surgical prevention and treatment of cataracts.

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Figures

Figure 1 |
Figure 1 |. The eye lens.
This cross-section of a mouse eye lens shows the curved, onion-like configuration of fibre cells, which are packed close together and lose subcellular structures such as nuclei (coloured blue) as they mature and move to the centre of the lens. Fibre cells contain highly ordered crystallin proteins, the intracellular concentration of which increases towards the interior of the lens (seen as darkening pink). This combined cellular and intracellular structure gives transparency to the lens. Denaturation and aggregation of crystallin proteins can result in the lens opacity known as a cataract. Zhao et al. show that the molecule lanosterol can redissolve crystallin aggregates and alleviate cataracts.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

  • Lanosterol reverses protein aggregation in cataracts.
    Zhao L, Chen XJ, Zhu J, Xi YB, Yang X, Hu LD, Ouyang H, Patel SH, Jin X, Lin D, Wu F, Flagg K, Cai H, Li G, Cao G, Lin Y, Chen D, Wen C, Chung C, Wang Y, Qiu A, Yeh E, Wang W, Hu X, Grob S, Abagyan R, Su Z, Tjondro HC, Zhao XJ, Luo H, Hou R, Jefferson J, Perry P, Gao W, Kozak I, Granet D, Li Y, Sun X, Wang J, Zhang L, Liu Y, Yan YB, Zhang K. Zhao L, et al. Nature. 2015 Jul 30;523(7562):607-11. doi: 10.1038/nature14650. Epub 2015 Jul 22. Nature. 2015. PMID: 26200341

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