A team of Italian researchers developed and validated a fully organic retinal prosthesiswhich was implanted in a mouse model in vivo. Electrophysiological and behavioural analyses revealed in mice carrying a mutation in one of the genes implicated in the onset of the human retinitis pigmentosa, a post-implantation increase in light sensitivity and thevisual acuity, improvements that persisted up to 10 months. These unique results were also accompanied by a increased basal metabolic activity of the primary visual cortex.
The progressive degeneration of retinal photoreceptors due to mutations in specific genes is one of the main causes of blindness in adults, including retinitis pigmentosa for which, to date, there is still no fully effective clinical treatment.
The retina described in the study, published in the journal Nature Materialsis characterised by two layers of organic polymersalternately semiconductor and conductor, layered on a fibroin base. When the interface of these polymers is hit by light beams, it is able to mimic the process that, in healthy retinas, cones and rods are engaged in, converting information into electrical functions of neurons.
The research, which involved the Centre for Neuroscience and Synaptic Technologies (NSYN) in Genoa and Centre for Nanoscience and Technologies (CNST) in Milanthe Department of Ophthalmology of the Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria in Negrar (Verona), Innovhub-SSI Milan and the University of L'Aquila, as well as the Telethon Foundation, the Ministry of Healthand several private foundations, has produced truly unique results, as compared to other artificial retina models, generically based on silicon technology, this prototype has a unique tolerability, durability and autonomy of operation. The Prof. Grazia Pertile, Director of the Department of Ophthalmology, Sacred Heart Hospital Don Calabria, made statements to several newspapers in which he pointed out that the research team is planning the first human trial in the second half of 2017 and, therefore, they hope to collect some data as early as 2018.
It is clear that these results have enormous potential, as they highlight the possibility of developing a new generation of highly biocompatible prostheses to treat retinal diseases disabling.
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Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile
English 
Italian