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REVIEW article

Front. Ophthalmol.
Sec. Lens and Cataract
Volume 4 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fopht.2024.1414483
This article is part of the Research Topic Women in Lens and Cataract View all 7 articles

UV light and the ocular lens: A review of exposure models and resulting biomolecular changes

Provisionally accepted
  • Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    UV light is known to cause damage to biomolecules in living tissue. Tissues of the eye that play highly specialised roles in forming our sense of sight are uniquely exposed to light of all wavelengths. While these tissues have evolved protective mechanisms to resist damage from UV wavelengths, prolonged exposure is thought to lead to pathological changes. In the lens, UV light exposure is a risk factor for the development of cataract, which is a condition that is characterised by opacity that impairs its function as a focussing element in the eye. Cataract can affect spatially distinct regions of the lens. Age-related nuclear cataract is the most prevalent form of cataract and is strongly associated with oxidative stress and a decrease in the antioxidant capacity of the central lens region. Since UV light can generate reactive oxygen species to induce oxidative stress, its effects on lens structure, transparency, and biochemistry have been extensively investigated in animal models in order to better understand human cataract aetiology. A review of the different light exposure models and the advances in mechanistic understanding gained from these models is presented.ABSTRACT .

    Keywords: lens, UV light, Cataract, UV-A, UV-B, Oxidative Stress, UV filter

    Received: 09 Apr 2024; Accepted: 12 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 MacFarlane, Donaldson and Grey. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Gus Grey, Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.