( rods and cones which were thought to ...)Researchers discover way to make cells in the eye sensitive to light

rods and cones, which were thought to be the only systems providing sight. They measured light-induced pupillary constriction in genetically modified mice that lacked melanopsin. When the mice lacking melanopsin were exposed to low light, their pupillary response was the same as normal mice, but when they were exposed to bright light their pupil constriction was incomplete. The researchers believe that while not a cure for blindness, the findings could lead to therapies for treating some forms of blindness, such as retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is a form of hereditary blindness where the rods and cones are destroyed, but the rest of the eye and retina remains intact. By switching on the melanopsin it could be possible to restore the eyes ability to respond to light. Although making cells in the eye responsive to light is not a cure for blindness, the team are collaborating with engineers from Imperial to develop a functional retinal prosthesis which would allow the information from the light responsive cells to be used by the brain to process images.
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Source:Eurekalert


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