Promoting the research and development of drug for cataract and reducing the blindness rate of cataract

Author: Wang Yandong
DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn115989-20201102-00726
Published 2020-12-10
Cite as Chin J Exp Ophthalmol, 2020,38(12): 1001-1003.

Abstract                              [View PDF] [Read Full Text]

With the aging of the population and changes of people’s lifestyle, age-related eye disease, metabolic-related eye disease and fundus lesions caused by high myopia become the main causes of blindness in China.Up to now, the only therapy for age-related cataract is still surgery to remove and replace the opacified lens.However, surgery for cataract is an invasive therapy, and the rapid increase of aging population and rising incidence of cataract put forward a huge challenge for the prevention of cataract and retarding the progress of cataract.Cataract pathogenesis includes protein crystallization partially unfolding and subsequently aggravating, oxidative stress and lens epithelial cells apoptosis, and these provide treatable targets for cataract drugs.Based on these pathogenesis, scientists have been looking for possible treatment drugs.Although so far there is no proven effective drugs, ophthalmologists and pharmacists have made an exciting progress and novel discovery in China.Pursuing a pharmacologic treatment for cataract is of important significance for selecting non-invasive therapies based on patient’s will, avoiding surgical complications, expanding access to cataract treatment and reducing healthcare costs.We should keep making effort on research and development of drug for cataract, in order to further reduce the blindness rate of cataract.

Key words:

Cataracts/therapy; Drug discovery; Blindness rate

Contributor Information

Wang Yandong
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
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Updated: December 15, 2022 — 8:39 am