Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Looking within for vision.

John G Flannery1, Kenneth P Greenberg

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.

Neuron
|April 8, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Addressing Challenges in Developing Treatments for Inherited Retinal Diseases: Recommendations From the Third Monaciano Symposium.

Translational vision science & technology·2025
Same author

Optogenetic restoration of high-sensitivity vision using ChRmine- and ChroME-based channelrhodopsins.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Truncated complement factor H Y402 gene therapy rescues C3 glomerulonephritis.

Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy·2025
Same author

Dissecting the biological complexity of age-related macular degeneration: Is it one disease, multiple separate diseases, or a spectrum?

Experimental eye research·2025
Same author

Truncated Complement Factor H Y402 Gene Therapy Cures C3 Glomerulonephritis.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

A Systematic Review of Optogenetic Vision Restoration: History, Challenges, and New Inventions from Bench to Bedside.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine·2022
Same journal

Sparse component analysis: A method that uncovers separable computations within neural population activity.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Spatiomolecular mapping reveals anatomical organization of heterogeneous cell types in the human nucleus accumbens.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

TGF-β1-induced endothelial transcytosis drives blood-brain barrier leakage during aging.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Image space opens up for visual neuroscience.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Septal GLP-1 receptors control alcohol taking and seeking.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Microglial fitness in moderation: Tuning TREM2 signaling through Ptpn6.

Neuron·2026
See all related articles

Scientists genetically engineered channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in retinal ganglion cells of blind rodents. This restores light sensitivity to neurons, offering a new path for treating inherited blindness.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Optogenetics
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) is a light-gated ion channel from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
  • ChR2 uses 11-cis retinal as a chromophore, similar to mammalian rhodopsin.
  • Previous studies showed ChR2 can optically control neuronal firing.

Discussion:

  • This study uses viral-mediated gene transfer to deliver ChR2 to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in a rodent model of inherited blindness.
  • The goal is to genetically engineer surviving retinal neurons to regain lost photoreceptive function.
  • This approach converts light-insensitive retinal interneurons into photosensitive cells.

Key Insights:

  • Successful delivery and expression of ChR2 in RGCs.
  • Restoration of light sensitivity in genetically modified retinal neurons.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Demonstration of a novel strategy for vision restoration.

    • Outlook:

    • This research opens a new therapeutic direction for blinding retinal degenerations.
    • Potential for developing gene therapies to treat inherited blindness.
    • Further research may explore optimizing ChR2 delivery and function for clinical applications.