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Severed Optical Nerves Can Be Made To Grow Again

Posted by chrisd on from the well-will-you-look-at-that dept.

Anonymous Coward writes: "It is being hailed as one of the most significant advances in nerve regeneration in a decade. After severing an optic nerve in rats, neurologists have found a way to reconnect it to the brain so that it once again transmits normal electrical signals. As reported in the New Scientist this achievement is a first in mammals, and may hint at ways of reversing some types of blindness in people. Scientists also hope to use a version of the technique to treat people with spinal cord injuries.

1 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Someday the tables will turn... by Rothfuss · · Score: 5, Funny


    The team is currently studying the rats' behaviour to assess how good their eyesight is.

    While the rat team is currently trying to figure out how to anaesthetize a large group of humans, and then gnaw their eyes out.