Biomimetic Nanoparticles Trigger Light Responses in Blind Mouse Retinas
A biomimetic nanoparticle platform inspired by photosynthesis helped activate surviving retinal nerve cells in mice with advanced retinal degeneration. The post Biomimetic Nanoparticles Trigger Light Responses in Blind Mouse Retinas appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
Despite a retina losing its natural light-sensing cells, its nerve circuitry can still function. A recent preclinical study revealed that injectable, light-sensitive nanoparticles can connect with surviving retinal nerve cells in degenerated mouse retinas, enabling them to react to illumination. Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the research led by Menglin Chen, PhD, from Aarhus University, involved collaborators from the University of Chicago, University of Eastern Finland, Aarhus University Hospital, and University of Copenhagen.
The study tackles a major obstacle in retinal degeneration: even after photoreceptors are lost, other retinal neurons can remain. Dr. Chen, an associate professor at the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, aimed to develop a wireless interface between light and these remaining cells, avoiding gene therapy, optogenetic modification, or surgically implanted electronics.
"The particles we created can act as a wireless interface between light and living cells," Dr. Chen explained. "We've observed that the particles can activate nerve cells in blind retinas, bringing us closer to creating a new type of retinal prosthesis."
The nanoparticles are hollow spheres made from graphitic carbon nitride, a light-responsive semiconductor inspired by chloroplasts, which capture sunlight during photosynthesis. These particles convert light into photoelectrochemical and photothermal effects, influencing cell signaling. In cell experiments, laser stimulation led to calcium release in multiple cells and propagation in primary cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts.
At a multicellular level, blue LED light helped pace and synchronize beating in cardiomyocytes. When injected into mice with advanced retinitis pigmentosa, the nanoparticles accumulated near retinal ganglion cells, which relay visual information from the eye to the brain. Illuminating the eyes triggered light-induced activity in the visual cortex and observable behavioral responses to light.
The researchers also demonstrated that the nanoparticles could activate retinal ganglion cells in isolated porcine retinal tissue under LED photostimulation.
While the findings do not restore normal vision, they suggest a potential approach for restoring light sensitivity in retinas with degenerated photoreceptors. The team will need to refine delivery, evaluate the nanoparticles' functionality duration in the eye, assess long-term safety, and determine if the light-evoked responses can be controlled for vision restoration.
The work represents a significant step toward a biomimetic material that can translate light into biological signals across multiple scales, from individual cells to degenerated retinal tissue. Whether this microscopic "solar cell" concept can ultimately aid people with vision loss remains to be seen, depending on the next phase of preclinical development.
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