Wen et al. found that upregulation of the m6a methylase methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14) and downregulation of the demethylase obesity-associated protein (FTO), alkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), catalyzed the hypermethylation of the m6a methylase-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) and its encoding protein, YKL-40, in the anterior capsule of the lens in patients with nuclear cataracts with high myopia, and contributes to the pathological state of high myopia by regulating the composition of the extracellular matrix. Here, CHI3L1 is linked to nuclear cataract.