Chemists shed light on how age-related cataracts may begin

Medical Xpress

March 4, 2026

Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness worldwide and are considered a priority disease by the World Health Organization. In a new study, researchers at the University of California, Irvine uncovered how a subtle chemical change in an eye lens protein can make the protein more likely to clump together over time, suggesting an early step in cataract formation.