Author Spotlight: Advancing Understanding of Age-Related Lens Stiffness Changes

We're trying to understand how people lose their near vision with age. We know that this is due, in part, to a change in lens stiffness, but we still don't know why the lens stiffens as we age. Current experimental methods rely on crude methods for loading the lens, such as placing microscope cover slips on the lens.

These methods are tedious and lack appropriate controls for the rate of loading. We have determined that the lens shape is the primary driver of presbyopia, and we know that the shape is primarily driven by biomechanical parameters. This protocol offers a completely objective, reproducible method for measuring lens stiffness.

Automation allows us to control the rate of loading, which is a key parameter when characterizing a viscoelastic material, like the lens. We now have an objective, repeatable protocol for measuring lens biomechanical properties. This will allow us to rigorously characterize how the lens stiffens with age, as well as how specific proteins modify the lens biomechanical properties.