Cincinnati Children's, UAB Find 430-Nanometer Indigo Light Prevents Myopia in Tree Shrews
Updated
Updated · WVXU · Aug 18
Cincinnati Children's, UAB Find 430-Nanometer Indigo Light Prevents Myopia in Tree Shrews
1 articles · Updated · WVXU · Aug 18
Summary
Cell Reports Medicine published findings that adding 430-nanometer indigo light to normal indoor lighting prevented experimentally induced myopia in tree shrews, whose eyes closely resemble human eyes.
Researchers say standard white LEDs lack that short-wavelength band, while sunlight contains enough indigo light to help keep the eye from growing too long—the structural change that causes nearsightedness.
Richard Lang said the immediate advice is at least two hours outdoors daily for children, while the longer-term plan is to test indigo-enriched lighting in daycare centers before myopia typically appears at ages 6 and 7.
The team is seeking at least $2 million for those trials after unsuccessful NIH grant bids, turning to private foundations as federal research funding has tightened since 2025.
The work targets a fast-growing global problem: about 3 billion people now have myopia, and the WHO projects 5 billion—half the world—by 2050.