Kingston University professor leads the way in cataract treatment

Professor Barbara Pierscionek, from Kington University has spent the last two decades looking to improve cataract operations.

The research suggests that proteins in the eye can change the gradient of the Lens.

It means that this alters long and short vision.

The finding could give a new insight into the way the eye grows and lead to major improvements in synthetic lenses used in surgery to treat patients who have developed cataracts.

Professor Pierscionek said: "This research could help give patients better vision if manufacturers use it to develop an improved lens able to change focus."

Her work has explored its biochemical, optical and mechanical properties. Since the lens is one of the few organs in the body that does not replenish itself, it is a model for ageing.

She added: "The lens is the key to a lot of things – we just haven't unlocked its full potential yet."

In the United Kingdom, an estimated one in three people over the age of 65 is affected.

Smoking and UV radiation are thought to be causes and they can also occur in people with diseases such as  diabetes.

The condition may gradually make vision more blurred and make it difficult to see.