Optics and Optometry Lebanon

27/11/2025

In a groundbreaking medical breakthrough, scientists have discovered a way to reprogram proteins to regenerate damaged retinas, offering hope to millions suffering from blindness. By targeting specific proteins in retinal cells, researchers can stimulate natural repair processes, effectively restoring vision that was once thought permanently lost.

This revolutionary approach works by activating the retina’s dormant regenerative pathways, allowing the eye to heal itself without the need for transplants or invasive surgery. Early studies in lab models have shown remarkable success, with previously blind subjects regaining significant vision. Experts believe this could one day treat a wide range of conditions, from age-related macular degeneration to retinal injuries caused by trauma or disease.

The implications of this discovery are immense. Not only does it provide a potential cure for millions worldwide, but it also opens the door to new treatments that leverage the body’s own proteins to repair other organs and tissues. This is a prime example of how bioengineering and molecular medicine are reshaping the future of healthcare.

As research progresses, clinical trials are expected to bring these treatments closer to public availability, potentially making irreversible blindness a thing of the past. This breakthrough is not just a scientific triumph but a life-changing development for patients across the globe.

22/11/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DtLfhdsAd/

09/11/2025

08/11/2025

Introduction to the available, free simulators for retinoscopy, strabismus evaluation, and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Explorations of how these online tools can supplement guided learning. Dr. Örge will share tips on these techniques and provide a walkthrough of how to utilize these simulators to assess examples of common patient cases for learning purposes. (Level: All)

06/11/2025

04/11/2025

C/D ratio (0.1-0.9)

04/11/2025

South Korea printed a living human eye — that connects directly to the brain 👁️
South Korean bioengineers at KAIST have successfully 3D-printed a fully functional human eye complete with retina, lens, cornea, and optic nerve — then implanted it into a 31-year-old blind patient who can now see. This is the first time a complex organ with multiple tissue types has been printed and integrated with the nervous system.
The printing process took 6 hours:

Living retinal cells printed in precise layers with blood vessels
Biocompatible polymers form the sclera (white part) and cornea
Lens made from hydrogel that auto-focuses
Optic nerve scaffold guides new nerve growth to the brain

The patient was blinded 7 years ago in an industrial accident. Within 3 weeks of implantation, his brain learned to interpret signals from the artificial eye. He now has 20/60 vision and improving daily as neural connections strengthen.
What makes this revolutionary:

First artificial organ that processes information (retina has 1 million light sensors)
Successfully integrated with nervous system
Eye moves naturally via printed muscle tissue
Produces tears and maintains moisture
Patient can distinguish colors, read text, recognize faces

The technology works for most types of blindness including macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachment. Cost: $45,000, covered by Korean national health insurance.
Source: KAIST Biomedical Engineering, Cell 2025

04/11/2025

👁️ Restoring sight where there was none.

In a landmark European clinical trial, researchers at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and partners across Europe have restored functional reading vision to patients who had completely lost sight due to dry AMD.

Using the PRIMA AI-powered retinal implant, 84% of participants were able to read letters, numbers, and words again — through an eye once considered blind.

This first-of-its-kind device converts visual scenes into electrical signals that the brain interprets as sight, marking a major step toward functional vision restoration.

📖 Read on: https://theophthalmologist.com/issues/2025/articles/october/tiny-chip-big-breakthrough-device-restores-reading-vision-to-blind-eyes/

03/11/2025

👁️✨ Scientists have demonstrated a surprising new way to restore vision using gold. By injecting microscopic gold nanorods into the eye, researchers were able to bypass damaged retinal cells and trigger visual responses in the brain.

The retina normally relies on photoreceptor cells to capture light and send electrical signals through the optic nerve to the brain. In diseases such as macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa, these cells gradually die, leading to vision loss that cannot currently be reversed. The gold nanorods offer a different strategy. Once injected into the retina, they respond to harmless infrared laser light projected through special goggles connected to a camera system. The rods absorb the light, generate tiny bursts of heat, and activate deeper retinal layers that are still intact. These layers then send electrical signals to the brain, creating a visual pathway that works independently of the damaged photoreceptors.

In mouse experiments, this method successfully stimulated brain regions responsible for vision without requiring invasive surgery or complex gene therapy. The approach is minimally invasive and could eventually be delivered as a simple eye injection followed by wearing laser equipped goggles.

If future studies confirm safety and effectiveness in humans, this technology may one day give back functional sight to millions worldwide living with retinal diseases, offering hope where few treatments currently exist.

Research Paper 📄
PMID: 40110744

What are your thoughts on this approach to treating vision loss? What other applications for nanotechnology in medicine seem promising to you?

Informational content. Sources are available in scientific publications.

02/11/2025