Good news for millions of vision impaired people

The artificially implanted eye device gives light to the mice intended to be tested on humans later this year.

This device converts light into an electrical signal that stimulates retinal neurons, which can give hope to millions of people with retinal degeneration - including pigment retinitis (Retinitis pigmentosa - is a retinal degenerative disease that causes severe vision impairment and blindness.

The retina is located behind the eye, made up of millions of light-sensitive receptor cells. But mutations in any of the 240 genes can lead to retinal degeneration - causing the light cells to die even when the retinal neurons around them are unaffected.

Scientists believe that this implant may be a turning point in the treatment of retinopathy - (Photo: Cloudfront).

Because retinal nerves remain functional, previous studies have considered treating retinopathy with bio-eye devices that stimulate neurons with light. Other scientists have studied how to modify the CRISPR gene to correct mutations that cause blindness.

Now, the Italian Institute of Technology research group has developed a new approach. They created implant prostheses to replace the damaged retina. It is made of a thin layer of conductive polymer and coated with a semiconductor polymer.

Semiconductor polymers act as photovoltaic materials, absorbing photons when light enters the lens of the eye. Then electricity stimulates the retinal neurons and fills the vacancies caused by damaged light-receiving cells in mice (the retina rats are called Royal College of Surgeons - RCS ).

To test the device, the researchers implanted an artificial retina into an infected mouse's eye. After 30 days, they tested their sensitivity to light, comparing the results with healthy mice and untreated RCS mice.

Accordingly, at a low intensity of 1 lux - brighter than the light of the full moon night - the treated mice showed no better performance than the untreated RCS mice. But when the light rises to 4-5 lux - similar to the twilight - the reaction of the mouse has been treated in the same way as other healthy mice.

About 6 and 10 months after surgery, this retinal implant remains effective even though all mice in the trials (including treated mice, healthy children and RCS) are impaired. vision loss due to being older.

If tested successfully in humans, this artificial retina is likely to be used to give light to many patients with vision loss due to retinal diseases - (Photo: Pixabay).

The team used a positron emission tomography (PET) method to monitor mouse brain activity in light sensitivity tests, researchers found an increase in regional activity. Visualization on the cerebral cortex when processing visual information of treated children.

Based on the results, the team concluded that the implant directly activates "neurons in the degenerate retina" , but more research is needed to explain exactly how the stimuli work in the way. how is biology

"The detailed principle of the operation of this artificial part is uncertain," the scientists explained in a paper published in Nature Materials.

Although there is no guarantee that the results in mice will be successful in humans, one of the researchers, Sacred Heart Don Calabria's Grazia optician Pertile in Negrar, said: "They are I hope the great results from animal models will repeat in humans, we plan to conduct first human trials in the second half of this year and will get preliminary results in 2018. This implant may be a turning point in the treatment of retinopathy. "