New Study Shows Cure For Blindness!
The eye needs a healthy blood supply to function properly, just like other tissues or organs of the body according to a recent study.
The study went even further, stating that poorly developed blood vessels of the eye can cause visual impairment or blindness.
In fact, although we may know many of the molecules involved in safeguarding the development of intricate blood vessel architecture of the eye, it is only now that we are truly learning how these molecules work and how they might affect vision, (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine).
A recent study appearing in the October 16 issue of Cell by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that when some cells in mice retina were not properly fed nutrients and oxygen by blood vessels, they still remained alive for many months and were able to later recover some or all of their normal functions.
This finding suggests that similar conditions in human could also be reversible, (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine).
According to the researchers, there are three genes responsible for blood vessel development in human retina.
The genes are called Fz4, Ndp, and Lrp5.
Consequently, any defects in these genes cause hypovascularization-a lack of adequate amounts of blood vessels in the retina.
Therefore, eliminating any of these genes from the retina of mice could lead to hypovascularized retinas, which could lead to blindness.
Mice that did not have functional Fz4 had poor blood vessel growth in their retinas and were blind, the study said.
However, it was not clear whether blood vessel deficiency caused blindness in the mice or whether the absence of the Fz4 gene lead to other defects that caused the blindness according to the study.
The researchers found that the Fz4 gene function is only required in blood vessels, where it senses signals produced by the Ndp gene of other retinal cells.
The researchers found a defect in electrical signaling in the middle layer of mice retina, the same region lacking blood vessels when they measured electrical responses in retinal cells of mice lacking the Fz4 gene.
The team then immersed and soaked the Fz4 lacking retinas in oxygen and nutrients to mimic a normal blood supply while measuring electrical signal activities in response to light.
The team of scientist witnessed an astonishing thing occur-the immersed retinas were able to sense light and generate electrical signals similar to those generated by normal retinas.
As a result of this discovery, the researchers suggested that without the Fz4 gene, the impaired blood vessels only provided the retinas with just enough oxygen and nutrients to sustain life, but not enough to carry out visual functions, such as sensing light and generating signals similar to those generated by normal retinas.
The team also suggested that if the human retina responds to a decrease in blood supply in the same manner that the mouse's retina responded, then such results could be relevant for patients who have lost their vision as a result of vascular defects.
In addition, the researchers indicated that their experiments show that if a region of the retina has been deprived of its normal blood supply, then restoring that supply would also restore some visual function, even if the deprivation occurred weeks or months later.
People who have suffered with blindness will soon have a second chance at a better quality of life.
There hope of seeing again will not only be a dream, but a reality-thanks to new research, which shows how lost vision can be restored in mice and hopefully in human in the near future.
The study went even further, stating that poorly developed blood vessels of the eye can cause visual impairment or blindness.
In fact, although we may know many of the molecules involved in safeguarding the development of intricate blood vessel architecture of the eye, it is only now that we are truly learning how these molecules work and how they might affect vision, (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine).
A recent study appearing in the October 16 issue of Cell by researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that when some cells in mice retina were not properly fed nutrients and oxygen by blood vessels, they still remained alive for many months and were able to later recover some or all of their normal functions.
This finding suggests that similar conditions in human could also be reversible, (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine).
According to the researchers, there are three genes responsible for blood vessel development in human retina.
The genes are called Fz4, Ndp, and Lrp5.
Consequently, any defects in these genes cause hypovascularization-a lack of adequate amounts of blood vessels in the retina.
Therefore, eliminating any of these genes from the retina of mice could lead to hypovascularized retinas, which could lead to blindness.
Mice that did not have functional Fz4 had poor blood vessel growth in their retinas and were blind, the study said.
However, it was not clear whether blood vessel deficiency caused blindness in the mice or whether the absence of the Fz4 gene lead to other defects that caused the blindness according to the study.
The researchers found that the Fz4 gene function is only required in blood vessels, where it senses signals produced by the Ndp gene of other retinal cells.
The researchers found a defect in electrical signaling in the middle layer of mice retina, the same region lacking blood vessels when they measured electrical responses in retinal cells of mice lacking the Fz4 gene.
The team then immersed and soaked the Fz4 lacking retinas in oxygen and nutrients to mimic a normal blood supply while measuring electrical signal activities in response to light.
The team of scientist witnessed an astonishing thing occur-the immersed retinas were able to sense light and generate electrical signals similar to those generated by normal retinas.
As a result of this discovery, the researchers suggested that without the Fz4 gene, the impaired blood vessels only provided the retinas with just enough oxygen and nutrients to sustain life, but not enough to carry out visual functions, such as sensing light and generating signals similar to those generated by normal retinas.
The team also suggested that if the human retina responds to a decrease in blood supply in the same manner that the mouse's retina responded, then such results could be relevant for patients who have lost their vision as a result of vascular defects.
In addition, the researchers indicated that their experiments show that if a region of the retina has been deprived of its normal blood supply, then restoring that supply would also restore some visual function, even if the deprivation occurred weeks or months later.
People who have suffered with blindness will soon have a second chance at a better quality of life.
There hope of seeing again will not only be a dream, but a reality-thanks to new research, which shows how lost vision can be restored in mice and hopefully in human in the near future.
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