Will Cytoskeletal Drugs Prevent Posterior Capsule Opacification?
The main objective of the project is to determine whether the cytoskeletal drugs LAT-B or H-7 would help in clearing all the lens epithelial cells during cataract surgery in cadaver human eyes. The experiments are designed to evaluate the number/area of residual lens epithelial cells immediately after surgery with and without treatment by cytoskeletal drugs. The second set of experiments will study the effects of cytoskeletal drugs on proliferation and migration of lens epithelial cells in cultured human lens capsular bag after cataract surgery. The PCO and accompanying changes in the cultured lens capsule will be observed under a microscope for several weeks. If we could demonstrate the efficacy of this drug in removing the residual lens epithelial cells and reducing the levels of PCO in culture, it is possible to have a safe and effective means to reduce incidence of PCO and consequent decrease in post operative vision following cataract surgery in humans.
