Cataractogenic load – a concept to study the contribution of ionizing radiation to accelerated aging in the eye lens

Publication date: Available online 15 February 2019Source: Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation ResearchAuthor(s): Alice Uwineza, Alexia A. Kalligeraki, Nobuyuki Hamada, Miguel Jarrin, Roy A. QuinlanAbstractIonizing radiation (IR) damages DNA and other macromolecules, including proteins and lipids. Most cell types can repair DNA damage and cycle continuously their macromolecules as a mechanism to remove defective proteins and lipids. In those cells that lack nuclei and other organelles, such as lens fiber cells and mammalian erythrocytes, IR-induced damage to macromolecules is retained because they cannot be easily replenished. Whilst the life span for an erythrocyte is several months, the life span of a human lens is decades. There is very limited turnover in lens macromolecules, therefore the aging process greatly impacts lens structure and function over its lifetime. The lens is a tissue where biomolecular longevity, lifelong retention of its components and continued growth are integral to its homeostasis. These characteristics make the lens an excellent model to study the contribution of retained macromolecular damage over time. Epidemiological data have revealed a significant association between exposure to IR, the loss of lens optical function and the formation of cataracts (cataractogenesis) later in life. Lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors all contribute to cataractogenesis due to their effect on the aging process. Cataract is an iconic age-related disease ...
Source: Mutation Research Reviews in Mutation Research - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research