An international research team has developed light-sensitive nanoparticles that can be injected into the eye to activate nerve cells in a degenerating retina, paving the way for a new type of retinal prosthesis.
اضافة اعلان
The nanoparticles are made from a light-sensitive material called graphitic carbon nitride and measure approximately 300 nanometers in diameter.
They are hollow, with a design partially inspired by chloroplasts in plants.
When injected into the eye, they settle near retinal ganglion cells, which transmit information to the brain. When exposed to light, the nanoparticles trigger electrical and chemical processes that activate the nerve cells and send signals to the brain.
The experiments are being led by an international team headed by Aarhus University in Denmark, with researchers from the University of Chicago, the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Copenhagen, and Aarhus University Hospital.
In experiments involving mice with advanced retinitis pigmentosa, the researchers observed activity in the visual cortex as well as behavioral responses to light.
Retinal tissue from pigs also showed that LED light activated ganglion cells when the nanoparticles were present. Previously, the team had demonstrated that the particles could activate individual cells and synchronize the activity of heart muscle cells.
What Do the Findings Mean?
Menglin Chen, an associate professor at Aarhus University who led the research, said the approach is notable because it seeks to make use of nerve cells that remain functional in the retina. Rather than genetically modifying the cells, the researchers use the nanoparticles to create a new connection between light and the cells.
She emphasized that the research demonstrates a light-induced response in a degenerating retina, describing it as an early step rather than a fully developed retinal prosthesis.
Henry Linnonen, a retinal specialist and co-author of the study, explained that current treatment options are limited.
Gene therapies are designed for specific mutations, optogenetics requires genetic modification of cells, and electronic implants require surgery. This makes strategies that could work regardless of the underlying cause of the disease worth investigating.
The project began in 2019. The research evolved from nanofibers to hollow nanoparticles and from activating individual cells to stimulating an entire retina.
In 2024, the team filed an international patent application, and in 2025, Chen received a Pioneer Innovator grant for the “RetinaNano” project, which focuses on developing the technology for use in the eye.
Further research is still needed to assess long-term safety and functionality, improve the delivery method, and establish how the material behaves inside the eye before any clinical trials can be considered.
