The following is a summary of the “Lens epithelium as a major determinant in the development, maintenance, and regeneration of the crystalline lens,” published in the January 2023 issue of Retinal and eye research by Liu, et al.

The lens epithelial cells (LECs) and lens fibers work together to create the crystalline lens, a transparent and refractive biconvex structure. Cataracts resulting in lens opacity are the most common cause of irreversible blindness. The LECs serve as the primary lens cells throughout a person’s life, displaying various physiological properties and functions. The crystalline lens is developed from proliferating LECs that differentiate into lens fibers during embryonic development. 

The development of a healthy lens is affected greatly by both genetics and environmental factors. LECs play an important role in lens homeostasis during development by facilitating the transport of materials, synthesis, metabolism, mitosis, and proliferation. Transparency in the lens will be recovered if this is fixed. The structure and transparency of the regenerative tissue after cataract surgery depend on the postoperative microenvironment, which in turn is affected by the repair potential of LECs.

Focusing on the role of cholesterol synthesis (e.g., lanosterol synthase) in lens development and homeostasis maintenance, this review summarises recent research advances on the role of LECs in lens development, homeostasis, and regeneration and how the regenerative potential of LECs can be harnessed to develop surgical strategies and improve the outcomes of cataract surgery (Fig. 1). These new findings provide further evidence that LECs play a crucial role in determining both the healthy and unhealthy lens. In addition, new methods for preventing and treating cataracts may be discovered as more research is done on their molecular biology.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1350946222000726