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Photoswitch Therapy Restores Vision To Blind Lab Animals
Zothecula writes: A new genetic therapy that helped blind mice and dogs respond to light stimulus could restore sight to people who suffer from diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (a gradual loss of vision from periphery inwards). The therapy uses chemicals known as photoswitches, which change shape when hit with light, to open the channels that activate retinal cells. Treated mice can distinguish between steady and flashing light (abstract), while dogs with late-stage retinal degeneration also regain some sensitivity to light.
Imagine if it were YOU being tortured... having your eyes destroyed for an 'experiment'... Oh, wait! I'm on Slashdot! Most people here are sociopaths, who can't feel the suffering of others... and have to spend their entire lives PRETENDING to give a toss about other human beings, let alone animals...
The dogs were already suffering from the same disease. No dogs eyes were "destroyed for an experiment." FTFA:
The dogs were chosen because they have inherited a genetic disease caused by the same gene defect as some people with retinitis pigmentosa. Several of them at PennVet were treated and are currently undergoing tests to determine what degree of light sensitivity they now have.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
Do injections in the eyball cause sigificant damage that would prevent them being used on a regular basis or are you just talking about the "what the patient will put up with" factor?
I would think that if the alternative was blindness patients would put up with weekly injections into the eyeball. From some googling it seems there are already eyeball injected drugs that are given every two months.
note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
Perhaps, but every needle injection increases the risk of infection of the eyeball. My grandfather recently had a fake eye inserted after a single eye injection resulted in a streptococcus infection in that eye.
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
Exactly. Sorry about your grandfather. Every procedure carries a risk. The infection rate is about 1 in 1,000. So, given 2 eyes, that brings it down to 1 in 500. 52 weeks a year, brings it down to more than 1 in 10 per year - or a 50% chance you'll get a serious infection within 5 years. And then there are all the other complications, such as cataract formation, other side effects of the drug, tear in the retina, detached retina, etc.
When I asked about using injections of AVGF (anti-venous growth factor) in the eyes, I was told that in my case even every month wouldn't be enough, and that I would be insane to take that risk.
They were right - it wouldn't have prevented this. (warning - needles in the eyeball).
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
More likely IMHO is that some sort of implantable slow-release reservoir system will be developed. Now you're down to surgery maybe once a year if all goes well.
https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw