Eye Drops Could Clear Up Cataracts Using Newly Identified Chemical | Hacker News Reader

Eye Drops Could Clear Up Cataracts Using Newly Identified Chemical

ucsf.edu

51 pointsDrScump9 comments

When article described the protein in the lens as "amyloid", it occurred to me how similar it is to the abnormal proteins associated with Alzheimer's dementia.

Sure enough, the last paragraph suggests the very same thing, if we know how to "unfold" the lens protein maybe it's possible to do the same in the brain with therapeutic effect on Alzheimer's.

Of course it's a long shot, but exploring that lead sounds important. Nature, and science often work in strange, unexpected ways. Though benefit for cataracts is itself non-trivial. Several people I know have not had good outcome of surgery. Ability to just "melt" away the lens cloudiness would be very useful.

It's hard to get things past the blood-brain barrier, so assuming they identify something useful, I wonder how they'd do that? I wonder if an injection would work, hypothetically?

This sounds promising. I was born with a cataract in my right eye. I'm in my early forties now and technically, for all intends and purposes, you could say I'm blind in my right eye (kinda depends on the light intensity). Unfortunately my cataract is difficult to operate on since it's not free floating so they can't easily "scoop" it out. So, an eye-drop that dissolves this thing sounds great.

If they now could also find some eye drop that can dissolve the crap I have floating in my left eye, that would be fantastic!

Do you have floaters in your left eye? Retina detachment? Your case sounds similar to mine.

Recently diagnosed with cataract in right eye. Few years ago, retina detachment in left eye, followed by cataract in left eye, and then losing pupil controlling nerves in left eye during cataract surgery.

Ten years ago some eye specialist wanted to operate on my cataract. Apparently there could be complications but according to him "it would be worth the risk". Sounded like a fun project for him. I passed. I'm pretty much used to my crappy vision and I figured I'd wait ten years to see what happens with technology in this field and then suddenly, BOOM, eye drops! Even right now I wouldn't do an operation unless there was a 100% guaranteed no side effects (with the surgeon signing the guarantee with his own blood). Let's wait another five years and see where these eye-drops end up.

It's definitely just normal "floaters" in my left eye.

Sounds like we're at least a decade away since it's not to the point of human clinical trials.

Yeah. Work is interesting, but things don't always work the same in humans. Remember the anti-angiogenesis cancer cure? Worked great in mice, completely ineffective in humans.

And even if it works, it's likely to cost the same as cataract surgery until the patents expire, so all of those blind people in poor nations will stay that way for even longer.

And even more fun: "Initially, it was thought that angiogenesis inhibitors would have mild side effects, but more recent studies have revealed the potential for complications that reflect the importance of angiogenesis in many normal body processes, such as wound healing, heart and kidney function, fetal development, and reproduction. Side effects of treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors can include problems with bleeding, clots in the arteries (with resultant stroke or heart attack), hypertension, and protein in the urine . Gastrointestinal perforation and fistulas also appear to be rare side effects of some angiogenesis inhibitors." http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunothe...

Interesting that it's a sterol, considering that corticosteroids CAUSE cataracts. Not to mention destroying retinas by inducing central serous retinopathy. We're talking allergy nasal sprays like Nasonex, eye drops like Tobradex, and shots like Prednisone.

Don't use corticosteroids unless it's a dire situation (pretty much never).

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