CRYAA and macular degeneration: Given the role of HSPB4 in lenses, HSPB4 polymorphisms have been identified at the promoter or untranslated regions of the HSPB4 gene in association with milder pathogenic conditions such as age-related cataract and macular degeneration, but the pathogenicity remains uncertain (Ma et al., 2016; Xu et al., 2019; Hongtao Yu et al., 2021).