Scientists working on a cure for blindness might have stumbled upon a cure that is radical but potentially game-changing. Research conducted by a team of Neurobiologists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research based in Switzerland have used a previously untested method of therapy to bring light back into the lives of blind mice used as test subjects. The implications of this are far-reaching as this could lead to a potential cure for ocular degeneration and terminal blindness.
The process involved controlling the proteins with the mice’s retina so as to regenerate and stimulate the areas of the eye that are responsible for sensing the presence of light. The mice used in the study were victims of macular degeneration and this study could potentially mean that there is hope yet for those stricken by blindness as a cure might be at hand, even if it is still some years away. The focus of the study was retinitis pigmentosa which is a genetic affliction that has been incurable to date and is the cause of tunnel vision and night blindness worldwide. More than 2 million cases of this are lying untreated and this research, if it comes to fruition, could signal a new epoch in eye care for humans suffering from blindness everywhere. This study could be the basis of further such inquisitions, and as more knowledge becomes accumulated on the subject matter the forays and questions asked too will become more innovative and helpful for us.
This effort in cognitive research can be used to fully restore eyesight in human beings eventually and the uses of it are endless. Think of soldiers maimed in combat, or the average patient lying in hospital or women that have been the victims of attacks to the face. The possibilities of its application are endless but scientists are advising the public to treat these developments with cautious optimism. Several more studies need to be conducted before this treatment becomes fully viable for human use and that is still some time away. The next item on the agenda is the exploration of the extent of the healing effects of this cure and whether this kind of genetic manipulation could be applied similarly to other illnesses of the eye. This cure might still be in a nascent stage, but there is cause for hope for those that are blindness and in a manner of speaking, there is light at the end of the dark tunnel. |
