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	Podcast:		UC Science Today
	Episode:		Humans not the only ones to benefit from eye drops for cataracts
	Category:		Science & Medicine
	Duration:		00:01:01
	Publish Date:		2016-03-24 00:00:00
	Description:		If you live long enough, chances are you’ll develop cataracts, an age-related eye disease in which the lens of the eye becomes clouded and impairs vision. And it doesn’t just affect humans… "Most people in the United States, they know cataract as that milky white appearance in their dog’s eye. It’s incredibly prevalent – 100 percent of dogs have vision impairment from cataracts by age 13." That’s Jason Gestwicki of the University of California, San Francisco. His lab is working on a way to reverse cataracts using eye drops. Having such a topical treatment would not only be a boon to those in developing countries who can’t afford the very successful surgical treatment, but it could also help our nation’s pets. "There just aren’t very many places in the United States that do the surgeries for companion animals. And there’s a lot of opportunities, a lot of interesting patients – human and animals – who we might be able to help. And that’s what got us really excited to start this project."
	Total Play:		0