Booth Id:
BCHM034
Category:
Year:
2016
Finalist Names:
Ahmed, Anum
Abstract:
A newly discovered steroid called lanosterol has been found to be a potential topical treatment for cataracts. The properties of lanosterol and the reasoning as to why it is so effective have not yet been investigated. As cataracts are caused by protein aggregation and are often stimulated by glycation, the efficacy of the topical treatment may lie in its anti-glycating properties. This study utilizes a glycation-induced cataract simulation to determine the properties of lanosterol. The results suggested that lanosterol treated the glycation-induced cataract at concentrations of 10 µM, 20 µM, and 40 µM, implying that lanosterol does have anti-glycating properties.