Oxidative stress and age-related cataract

The authors review the available evidence supporting the possible role of o xidative stress in cataract formation from an epidemiological and a clinica l point of view. They discuss in more detail what is presently known about the molecular mechanisms of response of the mammalian lens to an oxidative insult and report unpublished data on gene modulation upon oxidative stress in a bovine lens model. Main research endeavors that seem to be a most pro mising source of new insights into the problem of age-related cataract form ation are briefly discussed. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.