Biomechanics of Lens Morphogenesis

项目摘要 透镜形状是其光焦度和屈光能力的主要决定因素。生长诱导 透镜形状的改变直接引起老花眼，并且是已知的年龄相关性白内障的危险因素。 然而，生物力学因素的相互作用，以管理年龄相关的变化，在透镜形状仍然存在 未知在拟议的研究中，我们将系统地表征生物力学性能的 老化的人类透镜，并使用该信息来了解透镜形状如何随年龄而演变。一种新型 将采用受约束的软组织生长理论来解释透镜囊的存在 以及它对透镜纤维细胞隔室的体积膨胀的影响。生物力学 纤维单元隔室和囊之间的相互作用最终决定了透镜的形状。 这些相互作用就像一个装满明胶的水球：随着明胶的凝固， 明胶对气球形状的影响越来越大。

Project Summary Lens shape is a primary determinant of its optical power and accommodative ability. Growth-induced change in lens shape directly causes presbyopia and is a known risk factor for age-related cataract. However, the biomechanical factors which interact to govern age-related changes in lens shape remain unknown. In the proposed study, we will systematically characterize the biomechanical properties of the aging human lens and use that information to understand how the lens shape evolves with age. A novel theory of constrained soft tissue growth will be employed to account for the presence of the lens capsule and its influence on the volumetric expansion of the lens fiber cell compartment. The biomechanical interaction between the fiber cell compartment and the capsule ultimately dictates the shape of the lens. These interactions behave like a water balloon filled with gelatin: as the gelatin sets, the properties of the gelatin contribute more and more to the shape of the balloon.