Blind mice see the light

Protein from algae could be used in the treatment of blindness.Do blind mice appeared the ability to distinguish light and darkness by an entered into the eye of the protein derived from algae.Such a method, according to researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Studies.Friedrich Mishera in Basel (Switzerland), can be used to treat some forms of blindness in humans.Light-sensitive protein ChR2 (one type of rhodopsin) is used algae for photosynthesis.Attempts to use these proteins to replace damaged or missing photoreceptors in the eyes of animals were made before.Particularly interesting is the direction a*sociated with age-related macular degeneration - a common enough view of pathology in humans.Currently there are no effective treatments for these patients.Conducted a test of some promising practices, including gene therapy and surgical techniques using lasers.Swiss researchers have conducted experiments on mice, whose eyes were totally lacking photoreceptors.These photoreceptors have to transfer the received light signal of the next layer behind the so-called bipolar cells, which continue to transmit a signal to the brain, where a visual image.The researchers used a safe virus to introduce protein in bipolar cells of mice.Only about 7% of the bipolar cells eventually got rhodopsin ChR2, but it was enough to light signals are pa*sed through the bipolar cells were the next layer of the retina - gangliotsity - and eventually reach the brain.After this treatment, mice that were in total darkness, were clearly responsive to the inclusion of light, while mice in the control group (not treated blind mice) did not show any reaction.
Malice intensifies the pain