Dormant cells found in the retina could be the key to a breakthrough method that allows doctors to restore vision in humans. Degenerative retinal disease is a huge problem for millions of people. New research may help to combat this degenerative disease, which is caused by the loss of photoreceptors. This could be done by turning dormant neurons into tissues that work similarly to cone photoreceptors.
Photoreceptors are light-sensitive cells found in the back of the eye. When they die and a person develops a retinal degenerative disease, these cells are not replaced. This makes it difficult for light to reach the eye. As such, utilizing dormant cells to replace those dead photoreceptors could open the door for some intriguing new treatment options.
These Muller glial cell neurons have caught the attention of scientists because they can be reprogrammed. The researchers were able to reprogramme them in animals, though they couldn’t do it with humans. However, the scientists did manage to get these cells to take on some essential functions which allowed them to act as photoreceptors. This isn’t the same thing as replacing the cells, but could restore some vision to humans.
This research is very much in its early days, and we’ve seen other attempts to help blind people see in the past with some astonishing results. Scientists may eventually be able, with further development of this concept, to make it possible for the neurons to become more reliable photoreceptors, which would allow them to restore vision through replacing damaged retinal cells.
We’ll need to wait and see how the research progresses, but it is exciting to learn what they have achieved. A study on their findings has been published in PNAS.
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