The damage to the retina in the back of the eye can lead to blindness
Bsip sa/alamy
The retinal transplant has been partially restored in blind mice, indicating that it can one day benefit people with cases such as age -related macular degradation, which includes a gradual loss of light -sensitive cells from the retina.
Shuwan Wang At the University of Vodan in China and its colleagues, his colleagues designed a mesh suit made of mineral nanoparticles that can take over the function of lost retinal cells, and the light turns into electrical signals that can be transmitted to the brain through the nerves.
To test the artificial limbs, the team injections of the particles into the retina from the genetically designed mice to develop almost complete blindness.
The researchers restricted the access of animals to water for three days, and they did the same for mice with typical vision and blind mice without synthetic. After that, they trained all mice to touch a 6 -centimeter circuit on the screen if they wanted water.
After training, all mice completed 40 test experiments each. Full -vision mice succeeded in pressing the 78 percent button. Those who have 68 percent implants have succeeded, while uneducated blind mice have managed only 27 percent of time. “It is a very clear effect,” he says Patrick Degenar At Newcastle University, UK, who did not participate in the study.
After two months, the researchers found the minimum signs of toxicity in the eyes of mice with transplants-but the long-term safety data is needed, says Degenaar. “To get this to the clinic, you will have to have a long -term animal experience for about five years,” he says.
People with age -related macular dissolution and retinal inflammation can benefit from [the prosthetic]He says Leslie Escio At Sari University, the United Kingdom, which did not participate in the study.
Degenaar says it will be difficult to justify the approach in people with age -related macular degeneration, as they usually have a level of sight that will not be worth risking by planting artificial limbs.
What is more, the mice have a poorest vision than humans, so it is not clear how people can benefit until clinical trials are performed.
Topics:
