Presbyopia treatment by lens alteration of disulfide bonds and reduction
This invention effects a change in the accommodation of the human lens affected by presbyopia through the use of various reducing agents that change accommodative abilities of the human lens, and/or by applying energy to affect a change in the accommodative abilities of the human lens. This invention both prevents the onset of presbyopia as well as treats it. By breaking and/or preventing the formation of bonds that adhere lens fibers together causing hardening of the lens, the present invention increases the elasticity and distensibility of the lens and/or lens capsule.
1. A method for increasing accommodative amplitude of a lens of an eye comprising administering to the eye a biochemical energy source to facilitate breaking of lenticular disulfide bonds and a reducing agent to reduce the likelihood of reformation of lenticular disulfide bonds.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biochemical energy source comprises glucose-6-phosphate.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering a catalyst.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst comprises a reductase.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst comprises an aldoreductase.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst comprises a glyoxylase.
7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst comprises a glutathione S-transferase.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst comprises a thiol reductase.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst comprises a tyrosine reductase.
10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst comprises a hexokinase.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent is glutathione, ascorbic acid, a thiol derivative, vitamin E, tetraethylthiuram disulfyl, ophthalmic acid, inositol, or a beta-carboline.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering a methylating agent selected from the group consisting of methyl-methane thiosulfonate, methyl glutathione, S-methyl glutathione, S-transferase, wherein the reducing agent is capable of reducing the disulfide bonds into sulfhydryl groups; and wherein the methylating agent is capable of methylating the sulfhydryl groups.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the methylating agent comprises methyl-methane thiosulfonate.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the methylating agent comprises methyl glutathione.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the methylating agent comprises 5-methyl glutathione.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the methylating agent comprises S-transferase.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lens is a lens of a human eye.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising applying an external energy source in a form of electromagnetic radiation, sound, or heat to the lens.