Evaluation of Ocular Lens Proteins in Cataract From Individuals With Down Syndrome

Individuals with Down syndrome have an increased rate of cataract. The reason for this increase is unclear. Normally, once cataracts become a significant impairment, an ophthalmologist will determine when cataract surgery should be performed. When this surgery is performed, cataractous tissues are cut out and discarded with medical waste. In this study, these tissue will be collected and protein analysis performed to determine what changes in different proteins are found in Down syndrome lenses as compared to normal cataractous lenses.