Blind Mice Given Sight After Device Cracks Retinal Code

[xchrom]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-13/blind-mice-given-sight-after-device-cracks-retinal-code.html

Blind mice had their vision restored with a device that helped diseased retinas send signals to the brain, according to a study that may lead to new prosthetic technology for millions of sight-impaired people.

Current devices are limited in the aid they provide to people with degenerative diseases of the retina, the part of the eye that converts light into electrical impulses to the brain. In research described today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists cracked the code the retina uses to communicate with the brain.

he technology moves prosthetics beyond bright light and high-contrast recognition and may be adopted for human use within a year or two, said Sheila Nirenberg, a neuroscientist at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and the study’s lead author.

“What this shows is that we have the essential ingredients to make a very effective prosthetic,” Nirenberg said. Researchers haven’t yet tested the approach on humans, though have assembled the code for monkeys, she said.

[LeftofObama]

1. Well that's certainly some good news.

Good to hear something promising for a change.

[trotsky]

2. Star Trek was so unrealistic.

We might just have a device like Georgi's visor (or perhaps even his bionic eyes) within a few decades, instead of having to wait until the 24th century! (Hopefully!)

[Moostache]

11. In a world that was freed from the profit motive, it would be here already.

Roddenberry had it dead right when he conceived the idea of humanity only advancing to new levels if they freed themselves from money and the entire idea of money. Star Trek is beloved by millions for many different reasons, but if I could only take one thing from the entire series, it would be to live in a society that had freed itself from the bondage of a monetary system that degrades the majority to enrich the minority.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Wish my 93 yr-old mother was young enough to wait for this. She has

macular degeneration to the extent she is legally blind.

[Spirochete]

4. This IS good news

now they can keep away from the farmer's wife...

[Thor_MN]

5. Was it a limited study? Probably only had like three subjects...

[VWolf]

6. *snort* n/t

[colorado_ufo]

7. 4:30 AM and you guys made me LOL!

Hats off to you and have a great day!

[SeattleVet]

9. Now they can see...

that they have no tails!

[TrogL]

8. So will this be released in the public domain or locked up in a patent?

I had a childhood dream of working in this field. I wanted to build nervous system-controlled prosthetics but I knew I needed to crack the code controlling muscles and translate it for prosthetics. If we've got it for sight, could this be far behind?

[Rhiannon12866]

10. K&R! Impressive and wonderful news!