Light-activated compounds in eye drops restore vision in blind mice

Researchers developed light-sensitive drugs that restored light perception in mice with photoreceptor degeneration. Two of the compounds were effective when administered as eye drops, suggesting a potential non-invasive treatment for degenerative blindness. The approach avoids gene therapy and implants, targeting intact retinal circuitry.

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The photoswitchable compounds are designed to substitute for the light-detecting role of photoreceptors, which die in conditions like age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. While these outer retinal cells fail, deeper neural circuits often survive, and the drugs target that remaining architecture. Delivery can occur via injection or eye drops, avoiding genetic modification or implanted hardware.

The research team, led by Pau Gorostiza at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, published its findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The molecules showed promising safety profiles in animal testing. Researchers emphasize the drugs do not cure the underlying