The human eye is relatively unexplored as a source of cells for investigating DNA damage. There have been some clinical studies, using cells from surgically removed tissues, and altered DNA bases as well as strand breaks have been measured using the comet assay. Tissues examined include corneal epithelium and endothelium, lens capsule, iris and retinal pigment epithelium. For the purpose of biomonitoring for exposure to potential mutagens in the environment, the eye-relatively unprotected as it is compared with the skin-would be a valuable object for study; non-invasive techniques exist to collect lachrymal duct cells from tears, or cells from the ocular surface by impression cytology, and these methods should be further developed and validated.

Centre for Eye Research Department of Ophthalmology Oslo University Hospital Ullevål and University of Oslo Kirkeveien Oslo Norway

Department of Nutrition Food Science and Toxicology Schools of Pharmacy and Sciences University of Navarra Irunlarrea Pamplona Spain

Department of Nutrition Institute for Basic Medical Sciences University of Oslo Sognsvannsveien Oslo Norway

IdiSNA Navarra Institute for Health Research

Laboratory of the Biology and Pathology of the Eye Institute of Inherited Metabolic Disorders 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University and General University Hospital Prague Czech Republic

NILU Instituttveien Kjeller Norway

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