Exploring new avenues for cataract treatment using human pluripotent stem cells

Cataract, or vision loss due to clouding of the eye’s lens, is a large and costly international problem. Over 80 million people currently have low vision due to cataract. Cataracts can only be treated surgically, and while this restores vision the ability to focus between near and far objects is lost. Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed ophthalmic procedure and globally costs tens of billions of dollars annually. Due to population aging the incidence of cataract is increasing, and so are the associated costs. It has been estimated that a 10-year delay in cataract formation could halve the number and costs of cataract surgery. To address this issue Dr O’Connor has developed a world-first method to produce large numbers of human lens cells from pluripotent stem cells. The ability to access unlimited numbers of human lens cells, for defining cataract risk factors and performing anti-cataract drug screening, represents a true paradigm shift in international cataract research.