2023-08-10 11:01:52
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Treating vision problems due to ocular damage or degeneration is a delicate process whose outcome is often uncertain. Recent advances in nanotechnology, however, may bring new hope to the field, as it has allowed scientists to regrow retinal cells in the lab.
What is macular degeneration?
In an effort to combat the macular degenerationthe leading cause of blindness in developed countries, researchers turned to the nanotechnology to get help. Macular degeneration is a progressive eye condition that causes damage primarily to the central part of the retina called the macula. The macula is responsible for central, sharp vision, and is therefore crucial for activities like reading, driving, recognizing faces, and seeing small details.
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Macular degeneration is more common in older people and is one of the leading causes of vision loss in people over 50. There are two main types of macular degeneration: dry macular degeneration, which is the most common form of the condition; and wet macular degeneration, which is less common, but is usually more serious and can lead to much more rapid and significant vision loss.
The exact cause of macular degeneration is not fully understood, but several risk factors have been identified, including age, genetics, smoking, obesity, and family history. Although there is currently no cure for macular degeneration, there are various treatment options to help manage the disease and slow its progression. The situation might change, however, because scientists at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom have managed to regrow retinal cells in the laboratory.
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New hope to fight blindness
Indeed, according to the results of their study published in the journal Materials & Design, scientists have found a way to use nanotechnology and polymeric nanofibers to create a kind of 3D scaffold to grow retinal cells. These scaffolds are coated with a steroid to reduce inflammation. And by using a method called “electrospinning,” which produces extremely fine nanoscale fibers, the researchers were able to create a scaffold that was both thin and mechanically strong.
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The polyacrylonitrile polymer they used also helped provide mechanical strength, and the Jeffamine polymer has the property of attracting water. This allows the synthetic scaffold to act as a membrane that helps cells bind to the scaffold and also encourages their growth. While these are just lab tests so far, the team’s new formulation appears to be fair, since the system increased the growth and longevity of retinal cells and kept them viable for at least 150 days.
While many challenges still need to be overcome to use this technology to cure blindness, it opens the door to potential new ways to more effectively and permanently treat macular degeneration. Moreover, this light-activated biomaterial might save the sight of many patients.
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