US researchers develop cataract drop

A topical drop that appears to reverse changes in the crystalline lens of mice has been intuited by researchers in the US.

The newly identified compound is potentially the first that is soluble enough to be trialled as a topical medication for treating cataract. Proteins in the lens called crystallins clump together over time leading to loss of transparency.

Certain compounds, called sterols, appear to prevent the formation of these clumps (known as amyloid X) and one in particular, known as compound 29, is also seen to dissolve existence no amyloid in mouse lenses. Researchers hoped to replicate the finding in higher mammals.