An incredible discovery: algae helped restore sight to a blind man

 Researchers managed to partially restore sight to a 58-year-old man. He was involved in an experimental treatment called optogenetics, a new field of medicine that uses light to control nerve cells.

The patient said that he first noticed the results when he managed to see the crosswalk lines on the road.

To date, he can partially distinguish objects that are located in front of him.

The man said that 40 years ago he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that leads to partial or complete blindness. This disease affects more than two million people in the world.

The light-sensitive protein channelrhodopsin found in algae was used to treat the man. These proteins change their behavior in response to the world. Microbes use them to move towards light.

The patient underwent two stages of treatment. At the first stage, a viral vector stimulating the production of channelrhodopsin was injected into the eye that saw worse, on the part of the cornea that was not affected by retinitis pigmentosa.

Light-sensitive proteins sent electrical signals to the brain - the eye began to distinguish light, but only in amber shades. In order for the man to be able to distinguish colors, the researchers used special glasses with a video camera in the front and a projector in the back, this equipment converted light signals from the real world into a spectrum.

One of the researchers, Dr. José Alain Sachel, said that:

This patient was a bit upset because it had been a long time between starting the treatment and seeing anything. But when he said that he was able to distinguish the lines of the crosswalk on the street, you can imagine how confused he was. We were all confused.

Scientists assure that in the future they will use this technology for patients with almost complete or complete vision loss.

Professor Botond Roska from the University of Basel commented on the results of the treatment:

The obtained data support the concept that the use of optogenetic therapy is possible for partial restoration of vision.