It acts primarily by upregulating collagen I, collagen III, and elastin synthesis in fibroblasts, and by modulating genes involved in antioxidant defense and matrix metalloproteinase balance
however because of the instability of the enzyme, the age-dependent decline of the activity renders old red cells severely deficient and susceptible to hemolysis
Hematology 26 (1), 10131017
In the review, researchers describe two cysteine-based analogs, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA), that have been studied extensively for their role in treating cataracts
Tucker, M., Liao, G., Park, J., Rosenfeld, M., Wezeman, J., Mangalindan, R., Ratner, D., Darvas, M., & Ladiges, W