Can a chemical hack switch on lost eyesight?

Scientists are experimenting with smartly designed chemicals that can bypass non-functioning parts of the eye and restore visual signals to the brain.

In 10 seconds? There is hope for the blind as chemicals called ‘photoswitches’ improve chances of regaining eyesight. Although human trials are still some time away, researchers believe being able to see in some form is very much a possibility with this technology. (Read the science here)

How do photoswitches help with vision? They make parts of the eye — a specific class of retinal neurons that are normally not light-sensitive — respond to light. Effectively, this is a new method to restore vision. (Read more about how they work)

What causes vision loss anyway? There can be several factors, such as damage to rods and cones in the retina. These play an important role, because they convert light into electrical signals that are then sent to the brain. Losing these ‘photoreceptors’ leads to the retina being less light-sensitive, which is bad news for those involved.

How are photoswitches administered? They can be injected into the eyes and there they pair with proteins which control electrical signals. The result is that they convert light into electrical activity, doing the job of those damaged rods and cones in the retina. Some signalling has been shown to be restored in mice experiments, and though it’s not complete, it’s a promising first step. (Read free full article here)

So what is missing from the equation? The design of these chemical compounds mean that they cannot yet return the damaged retina to full light-processing mode. However, recently a new type of photoswitches that can be more easily attached to neurons and travel into the brain has been developed, making induced visual processing more natural. (Read more here)

So how far are we from being able to use this bypass to restore human vision? There have been no human trials yet, but research suggests that the restoration of full visual function, and not just of light-sensitivity, will be in the pipeline soon.

How can photoswitches help create Star Wars-inspired 3D images?

Alexander Lippert, assistant professor at Southern Methodist University in Texas was so much inspired by a 3D projection seen in a Star Wars movie that he and his team did not stop until they created their own.

However, the result is not a flat projection tricking the brain that it is a 3D image, but a real, 360-degree viewable display.

It is all made possible by photoswitch molecules that can switch from colourless to fluorescent when illuminated with UV light.

Read more about how 3D images are created using photoswitches.

This research was curated by Tareq Yousef, Sparrho Hero and academic researcher affiliated with Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada specialising in retinal circuitry.

(Psst, Tareq distilled 11 research papers to save you 431.3 min)