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Blind Mice See Again After Cell Transplants

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the see-how-they-run dept.

Korbinus writes, "Scientists have managed to restore vision in blind mice by transplanting light-sensitive cells in their eyes, cells on their way to become photoreceptors. This might be a important step towards new treatments of eye disease."

2 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. This is cool but... by green453 · · Score: 5, Informative

    How about not transplanting any cells and instead infecting existing cells with a virus that causes them express to CHOP-2? CHOP-2 (channelrhodopsin) is a light activated cation/proton channel excited by blue (~480nm if I remember right) light. Basically, if a neural cell expresses CHOP-2, shining a blue light on it will activate it. A http://www.neuron.org/content/article/abstract?uid =PIIS0896627306001760 paper in Neuron last spring explained how this technique was used to overcome blindness in mice. I call dibs on mutating the channel to change its excitability spectrum into IR, allowing me to see in the (visible spectrum) dark after being infected with it. Or maybe I can sell it to the military...

  2. Much better article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    This article answers some of the questions raised here:

    http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health /s/227/227737_stunning_breakthrough_in_search_for_ blindness_cure_.html