Cataract happens when the lens in the eye gets clouded, thus, affecting the vision. This has been found to be the leading cause of blindness. 

Recent studies made by scientists revealed that it may have a genetic basis. This means cataract can develop even without involving the aging process and radiation exposure.

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Researchers discovered that the main culprit of cataract formation (genetically based) is a deficiency of two genes responsible for encoding regulatory proteins—Mafg and Mafk. According to the report of Medical Express, when these two genes fail to do their work, the eye lenses become cloudy. 

Salil Lachke, a UD biologist and an assistant professor of biological sciences and a Pew Scholar in biomedical sciences, said that the eye lenses are made up of several proteins. 

Lachke, Smriti Agrawal and Archana Siddam, and a post-doctoral fellow Deepti Anand wanted to better understand the genetic process of how this disease develop in humans. They began studying the lens development in mice. 

They used integrated Systems Tool for Eye Gene Discovery (iSyTE) to zero down the genes responsible for lens transparency, Science Daily has learned. It was confirmed that Mafg and Mafk are critical to lens formation.

The mutant mice exhibited cataract when these genes were no longer present, according to Agrawal.

This study can be added to the earlier ones, which established that cataract is a disease commonly related with age. True to this is the study stating that more than half of the American population already have cataract or have undergone cataract surgery by the age of 80.

Furthermore, cataract can also be a result of other related eye and medical diseases, as per Mayo Clinic. Examples of which are trauma, diabetes, previous eye surgery and long term use of steroidal medicines. 

In line with the recent scientific events, researchers may have just found a way to delay or prevent the formation of cataracts.

Vaccines, alternative medicines and who knows what else these brilliant minds can develop to delay or eliminate this disease now that they have identified its root cause. 

TagsCataract, Genetics, Eyes, Disease