Biomechanical contributions to cataract development and implications for treatment strategies

Abstract

Background

Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness worldwide, primarily due to the progressive opacification of the crystalline lens. While surgical removal is the only definitive treatment, no pharmacological therapies have proven effective in reversing or significantly delaying disease progression.

Main text

Alterations in the biomechanical properties of the lens and their role in cataract formation. Biomechanics plays a crucial role in maintaining the normal structure and function of living organisms. As a mechanical material, the lens is subject to long-term regulation by the ciliary body, with its mechanical deformability being closely linked to the function of visual accommodation. Additionally, with age, the mechanical properties of the lens and its components undergo gradual changes, resulting in increased stiffness, reduced elasticity, and impaired accommodative capacity. These changes highlight the potential role of lens biomechanics in the onset and progression of cataracts. Understanding the patterns of biomechanical alterations during cataract formation may improve early diagnosis, enable better prediction of disease progression, optimize surgical approaches, and contribute to the development of non-surgical interventions, including pharmacological therapies and novel intraocular lens designs.

Conclusions

Focusing on biomechanical changes during the onset and progression of cataracts is essential for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This paper provides an overview of the anatomical structure of the lens, reviews existing literature on age-related biomechanical changes in the lens and their direct link to cataract pathogenesis, and discusses future research directions and applications of biomechanics in cataract research.