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Pretty incredible, though I am doubtful of the optic nerve regeneration because of the absolutely insane density of the nerve fiber. Seems like something that w

Pretty incredible, though I am doubtful of the optic nerve regeneration because of the absolutely insane density of the nerve fiber. Seems like something that will be beyond the grasp of science for the foreseeable future, but the possibility of the unexpected is exciting.

david-gpu 3y ago
> I am doubtful of the optic nerve regeneration because of the absolutely insane density of the nerve fiber. Seems like something that will be beyond the grasp of science for the foreseeable future It's been done quite successfully in mice [0]. Last I checked, it was being tested on primates. The method relies on activating the Yamanaka factors used in stem cell research. [0] https://hms.harvard.edu/news/vision-revision https://hms.harvard.edu/news/vision-revision
- jessriedel 3y ago
  Your link is about gene therapy in the eyes of mice, and is specifically a method designed as an alternative to transplant: > “This new approach, which successfully reverses multiple causes of vision loss in mice without the need for a retinal transplant, represents a new treatment modality in regenerative medicine.” And that's just retinal transplant, much less whole-eye transplant.
  - david-gpu 3y ago
    The link provided is also about about a method to produce optic nerve regeneration, regardless of whether there has been a transplant or not. Unless you have a reason to believe that it would not work in the case of a transplant.
    - westurner 3y ago
      Retina or optic nerve: how do the regenerative methods differ? Visual system > System overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_system : > Mechanical: Together, the cornea and lens refract light into a small image and shine it on the retina. The retina transduces this image into electrical pulses using rods and cones. The optic nerve then carries these pulses through the optic canal. Upon reaching the optic chiasm the nerve fibers decussate (left becomes right). The fibers then branch and terminate in three places. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] >Neural: Most of the optic nerve fibers end in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36912925 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36912925 , ... : - "Direct neuronal reprogramming by temporal identity factors" (2023) https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2122168120#abstract https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2122168120#abstract - "Retinoid therapy restores eye-specific cortical responses in adult mice with retinal degeneration" (2022) https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01449-X https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)... - "Genetic and epigenetic regulators of retinal Müller glial cell reprogramming" (2023) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667376223000173 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266737622... - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissue_nanotransfection#Technique https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissue_nanotransfection#Techni... Ctrl-F "neurons" Regeneration in humans > Induced regeneration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_in_humans#Induced_regeneration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_in_humans#Induced...
    - jessriedel 3y ago
      I absolutely have a reason to think optic nerve regeneration will be less effective in a transplant. In a transplant, the nerve has been severed!
s1artibartfast 3y ago
The article mentions that vision has been at least partially restored following transplantation in animals.
- jessriedel 3y ago
  I couldn't actually find anything optimistic after a quick search though. This 2017 study just looked at the biological viability of the eye, not function: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5417899/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5417899/ And indeed, a popular article from a few days ago has this quote: > “Whole eye transplants in animal models have shown that a whole eye transplant is surgically feasible, in that the tissue can be transplanted and major blood vessels and nerves can be reconnected, and the graft can survive in the short term,” [ophthalmologist Yvonne Ou] said. “However, no models have demonstrated restoration of vision, which is a major challenge to the field.” https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/did-surgeons-just-transplant-whole-eye https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/did-surgeons-just-transp... My guess is that the OP article is just wrong, possibly because they confused corneal and retinal transplants (which can restore some vision) with whole-eye transplants.
  - csdvrx 3y ago
    > the graft can survive in the short term,” [ophthalmologist Yvonne Ou] said. “However, no models have demonstrated restoration of vision, So the power lines (VCC, GND) are connected, but the IO lines are not.
throw1234651234 3y ago
I thought we just recently learned to sort-of, kind-of reconnect nerves. The solution for spinal tears was essentially to bluetooth (literally device on one side of tear and one on the other) data between torn spinal cord, and this was a huge accomplishment. So, in short, this seems to be a bionic glass eye in the short term? Still cool.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

david-gpu 3y ago

> I am doubtful of the optic nerve regeneration because of the absolutely insane density of the nerve fiber. Seems like something that will be beyond the grasp of science for the foreseeable future It's been done quite successfully in mice [0]. Last I checked, it was being tested on primates. The method relies on activating the Yamanaka factors used in stem cell research. [0] https://hms.harvard.edu/news/vision-revision https://hms.harvard.edu/news/vision-revision

jessriedel 3y ago
Your link is about gene therapy in the eyes of mice, and is specifically a method designed as an alternative to transplant: > “This new approach, which successfully reverses multiple causes of vision loss in mice without the need for a retinal transplant, represents a new treatment modality in regenerative medicine.” And that's just retinal transplant, much less whole-eye transplant.
- david-gpu 3y ago
  The link provided is also about about a method to produce optic nerve regeneration, regardless of whether there has been a transplant or not. Unless you have a reason to believe that it would not work in the case of a transplant.
  - westurner 3y ago
    Retina or optic nerve: how do the regenerative methods differ? Visual system > System overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_system : > Mechanical: Together, the cornea and lens refract light into a small image and shine it on the retina. The retina transduces this image into electrical pulses using rods and cones. The optic nerve then carries these pulses through the optic canal. Upon reaching the optic chiasm the nerve fibers decussate (left becomes right). The fibers then branch and terminate in three places. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] >Neural: Most of the optic nerve fibers end in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36912925 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36912925 , ... : - "Direct neuronal reprogramming by temporal identity factors" (2023) https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2122168120#abstract https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2122168120#abstract - "Retinoid therapy restores eye-specific cortical responses in adult mice with retinal degeneration" (2022) https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01449-X https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)... - "Genetic and epigenetic regulators of retinal Müller glial cell reprogramming" (2023) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667376223000173 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266737622... - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissue_nanotransfection#Technique https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissue_nanotransfection#Techni... Ctrl-F "neurons" Regeneration in humans > Induced regeneration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_in_humans#Induced_regeneration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_in_humans#Induced...
  - jessriedel 3y ago
    I absolutely have a reason to think optic nerve regeneration will be less effective in a transplant. In a transplant, the nerve has been severed!

s1artibartfast 3y ago

The article mentions that vision has been at least partially restored following transplantation in animals.

jessriedel 3y ago
I couldn't actually find anything optimistic after a quick search though. This 2017 study just looked at the biological viability of the eye, not function: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5417899/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5417899/ And indeed, a popular article from a few days ago has this quote: > “Whole eye transplants in animal models have shown that a whole eye transplant is surgically feasible, in that the tissue can be transplanted and major blood vessels and nerves can be reconnected, and the graft can survive in the short term,” [ophthalmologist Yvonne Ou] said. “However, no models have demonstrated restoration of vision, which is a major challenge to the field.” https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/did-surgeons-just-transplant-whole-eye https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/did-surgeons-just-transp... My guess is that the OP article is just wrong, possibly because they confused corneal and retinal transplants (which can restore some vision) with whole-eye transplants.
- csdvrx 3y ago
  > the graft can survive in the short term,” [ophthalmologist Yvonne Ou] said. “However, no models have demonstrated restoration of vision, So the power lines (VCC, GND) are connected, but the IO lines are not.

throw1234651234 3y ago

I thought we just recently learned to sort-of, kind-of reconnect nerves. The solution for spinal tears was essentially to bluetooth (literally device on one side of tear and one on the other) data between torn spinal cord, and this was a huge accomplishment. So, in short, this seems to be a bionic glass eye in the short term? Still cool.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]