Blind mice see again with gold-powered breakthrough, human trials to follow
The study shows that injecting gold nanoparticles into the eye and stimulating them with infrared lasers can activate retinal cells and partially restore vision in mice with retinal degenerative conditions.
"This is a new type of retinal prosthesis that has the potential to restore vision lost to retinal degeneration without requiring any kind of complicated surgery or genetic modification," said Jiarui Nie, the lead researcher.
"We believe this technique could potentially transform treatment paradigms for retinal degenerative conditions."
The group conducted the technique in isolated mouse retinas and living mice with retinal lesions. They projected laser patterns, which were designed as shapes, onto the treated retinas and recorded their visual activity in the brain's visual cortex regions to determine whether the visual activity corresponds with electrical activity—the expectation that the nanoparticle stimulation was, indeed, providing visual information to be processed.
Most notably, no inflammatory or toxic effects were found, indicating that the nanoparticles did not produce significant harm and damage to the retina was none. Moreover, the particles showed no signs of degradation months after being placed in the retina.
As opposed to surgery, "an intravitreal injection is one of the simplest procedures in ophthalmology," Nie said.
In humans, the scientists imagine a smart goggle or glasses system with potential real-world applications. These goggles would host cameras alongside a low-power infrared laser capable of transforming real-world visuals into accurately designed light patterns.
Laser activation would stimulate retinal nanoparticles, thus enabling the brain to 'see' images without functioning photoreceptors.
This concept is similar to earlier FDA-approved systems involving electrode implants, but with several key advantages. It is a minimally invasive procedure—only an eye injection is needed, not surgery. Second, unlike limited electrode arrays, nanoparticles can cover the entire retina. Additionally, it preserves residual vision using infrared, which doesn't interfere with remaining natural eyesight.
Though still in early stages, the findings open the door to a new class of non-surgical, light-based visual prosthetics. Before human use, more studies and eventual clinical trials are needed, but the initial results are promising.
"We showed that the nanoparticles can stay in the retina for months with no major toxicity," Nie said of the research. "And we showed that they can successfully stimulate the visual system. That's very encouraging for future applications."
The research has been published in ACS Nano.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
43 minutes ago
- New York Post
Breakthrough as two FDA-approved drugs are found to reverse Alzheimer's — including restoring memory
In a stunning scientific discovery, researchers have found that a pair of drugs can not only slow down Alzheimer's disease but actually reverse it and restore memory in mice. And the best part of all? Both are already FDA-approved — albeit for cancer. Researchers first pinpointed how Alzheimer's disease scrambles gene activity in individual brain cells. 3 Researchers have found that a pair of drugs can not only slow down Alzheimer's disease but actually reverse it and restore memory in mice. Pixel-Shot – Using the Connectivity Map database of 1,300 FDA‑approved drugs, the researchers looked for medications that reverse Alzheimer's‑associated gene expression — landing on a shortlist of five, and zeroing in on two cancer drugs. In what one researcher called a 'mock clinical trial,' they then mined 1.4 million patients' medical records, finding that those who had taken letrozole or irinotecan for cancer were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's. When given together in an aggressive Alzheimer's mouse model, letrozole — used to treat certain types of breast cancer in postmenopausal women — and irinotecan — an anti-cancer medication used to treat colon cancer and small cell lung cancer — reversed disease‑related gene expression signatures, dissolved toxic tau protein clumps and prevented brain degeneration. Most importantly, they restored memory and learning in mice that had already developed severe symptoms. It's an exciting development for an illness that's notoriously tricky. 3 Letrozole — used to treat certain types of breast cancer in postmenopausal women — and irinotecan — an anti-cancer medication used to treat colon cancer and small cell lung cancer — reversed disease‑related gene expression signatures, dissolved toxic tau protein clumps and prevented brain degeneration. Eric Hood – 'Alzheimer's disease comes with complex changes to the brain, which has made it tough to study and treat, but our computational tools opened up the possibility of tackling the complexity directly,' Marina Sirota, the interim director of the UCSF Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, said in a statement. 'We're excited that our computational approach led us to a potential combination therapy for Alzheimer's based on existing FDA-approved medications.' 'Alzheimer's is likely the result of numerous alterations in many genes and proteins that, together, disrupt brain health,' said Yadong Huang, a professor of neurology and pathology at UCSF. 'This makes it very challenging for drug development — which traditionally produces one drug for a single gene or protein that drives disease.' 3 'Alzheimer's is likely the result of numerous alterations in many genes and proteins that, together, disrupt brain health,' said Yadong Huang, a professor of neurology and pathology at UCSF. yurakrasil – The findings were published in the journal Cell. Both drugs are already FDA‑approved for other uses, which could dramatically speed up the path to human trials. However, because they are cancer drugs, repurposing them may be complex and risky. This finding adds to a growing number of potential Alzheimer's treatments. A compound found in rosemary and sage — carnosic acid — has been shown to reverse memory loss and reduce brain inflammation in mice with Alzheimer's, bringing their cognitive function back to near-normal levels. A study from Stanford Medicine found that seniors who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over seven years. And researchers at Penn State and Stanford University discovered that a certain cancer drug could restore memory and brain function in early stage Alzheimer's models.

Wall Street Journal
2 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Vinay Prasad Is a Bernie Sanders Acolyte in MAHA Drag
Meet Vinay Prasad, a young disciple of Bernie Sanders who ranks as one of the most powerful officials in the federal government. He determines whether patients get access to many life-saving medicines. Or not. Think of him as a one-man death panel. Dr. Prasad was named by Marty Makary, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner, as head of the agency's biologics division in May, and last month as its chief medical and scientific officer. More on why he was tapped to these posts later. But it isn't an exaggeration to say that Dr. Prasad wields more power than Anthony Fauci ever did at the National Institutes of Health.


Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Ice Cream Recalled Nationwide As Warning Issued Over Products
Tropicale Foods, based in Ontario, California, announced on Friday a voluntary recall of select Helados Mexico and La Michoacana ice cream products. The decision followed a label audit which revealed that although the products list "cream," they do not explicitly declare "milk"—that could endanger those allergic to milk. Newsweek contacted the company for comment on Sunday via email outside of usual working hours. Milk is a major allergen under federal labeling laws, and its accidental presence in products poses a risk to consumers with allergies or severe sensitivities. Undeclared ingredients can trigger life-threatening reactions, making accurate labeling a critical public health requirement. The company announcement, published on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s website on Saturday, states: "Tropicale Foods of Ontario, CA is recalling certain Helados Mexico and La Michoacana products with specific best by dates, as detailed below because these products contain undeclared milk. "Though these products include 'cream' in the product ingredient lists, the common name 'milk' is not declared. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products." Affected items include single-flavor offerings (such as Coconut, Strawberry, Bubble Gum, Cookies and Cream, Mango), as well as multi-packs (6‑pack, 12‑pack, 16‑pack varieties). The recalled products are as follows: Photos of the affected products are available on the FDA website. The recall covers a wide range of "best by" dates from May 2026 through July 2027. Distribution spanned retail locations nationwide across the U.S. As of the FDA announcement, one consumer illness has been reported. Consumers with affected items who are allergic or sensitive to milk are advised not to consume the products and to properly dispose of them. Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) states on its website: "When a person with a milk allergy is exposed to milk, proteins in the milk bind to specific antibodies made by the person's immune system. This triggers the person's immune defenses, leading to reaction symptoms that can be mild or very severe." Consumers who have the affected product should dispose of and not consume this product if allergic or sensitive to milk, and consult medical advice if symptoms arise. Anyone with queries may contact the company at 909-563-3090 between 8 am and 5 pm Pacific, Monday to Friday. The FDA will continue oversight and monitor any additional consumer reports or updates. Related Articles Is the FDA Doing Enough About Food Additives?Nationwide Ritz Cracker Recall Update as FDA Issues Risk WarningCanned Fruit Recall Sparks Nationwide Warning to CustomersFDA Issues Highest Risk Warning for Tofu Recall 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.