A recent study, which proposes the injection of gold nanoparticles directly into the eye, can be the first step towards a virtual cure for certain types of blindness, especially those caused by retinal deterioration, such as age -related macular degeneration and pigmentary retinitis.
In the study, published in the journal ACS NanoThe researchers have shown that gold powder injections can stimulate the visual system and restore vision into mice with retinal disorders.
The discovery suggests a possible visual prosthesis system, combining intravitreous injection (between lens and retina) with gold nanoparticles, with a laser device in glasses that, when projecting light beams in the eye, activate nanoparticles that, in turn, stimulate the remaining neural cells of the retina.
In a statement, the first author, Jiarui Nie of the University of Brown, says: “This is a new type of retinal prosthesis that has the potential to restore lost vision due to retinal degeneration, without the need for any type of complex surgery or genetic modification.”
Conducted by researchers at the University of Brown in Providence, USA, research revolutionizes the way we treat blindness by offering an alternative to traditional electronic prostheses. The technique uses gold nanoparticles as mini -covers of light in heat.
Testing the injection of gold particles into the retina
Retinal diseases, such as macular degeneration and pigmentary retinite, reach millions of people around the world, destroying photoreceptors (rods and cones), specialized cells that capture light and convert it into electrical impulses. Without them, the brain does not receive visual information.
The new technique uses tiny injected gold particles into the retina that, when they receive infrared light, warm lightly and stimulate the still functional nerve cells. Surrounding photoreceptors, the reactive process the neural path of vision in people with other intact retinal cells.
To test the effectiveness of their system, the authors took the approach to mice retinas and also on live animals with retinal disorders. Using an infrared laser, the researchers designed visual patterns in retinas already treated with the gold particles.
The results proved that nerve cells responded exactly as projected standards, suggesting a functional visual reception, without observing collateral effects, nor in nanoparticle solution or laser stimulation, according to specific markers.
Through probes, the researchers observed increased activity in the visual cortex of treated rodents, indicating that visual signs were being captured and processed by the brain. The result suggests a partial restoration of the vision with potential for future application in humans.
How to use new technology in humans?
To enable human use, the authors integrated the nanoparticles to the retina and laser in glasses with cameras. These capture external images, converting them to bright pulses to stimulate particles. The idea is to create a visual prosthesis, replacing traditional surgical methods.
Less invasive than eye implants already approved by the FDA, the new technology needs no surgically implanted electrodes, replacing them with intravitrean injections, today a ordinary procedure in ophthalmology. The solution eliminates surgical risks and expands accessibility.
In addition, the new system has some functional advantages: while old implants were limited to 60 pixels, the nanoparticles cover the entire retina fully restoring the visual field. And because they respond to infrared light, they do not interfere with the user’s remaining view.
In preliminary tests, particles were stable in the retina for months without significant toxicity. “We prove that they successfully stimulate the visual system,” said Nie. The next step is clinical trials to validate technology in humans, promise the authors.
NIE recognizes that despite promising results, some adjustments are required before practical applications. For the successful biomedical engineer, the integration between hardware and biology can redefine the treatment of visual deficiencies in a practical and revolutionary manner.
This content was originally published in gold particle injections restore vision in blind rats, says study on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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