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Restoring Vision to the Blind with Chemical Photoswitches
Ivan Tochitsky1,2, Michael A Kienzler3, Ehud Isacoff4,5,6
1F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center , Boston Children's Hospital , Boston , Massachusetts 02115 , United States.
Chemical Reviews
|June 7, 2018
Summary
Chemical photoswitches offer a promising new therapy for blindness caused by degenerative retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, restoring visual function.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology and Neuroscience
- Chemical Biology and Synthetic Chemistry
Background:
- Degenerative retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cause irreversible vision loss globally.
- Current therapeutic strategies aim to treat these conditions or restore vision in affected individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the development and translational application of light-sensitive chemical photoswitches for vision restoration.
- To compare the translational potential of photoswitch therapy with other vision-restoring approaches.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing chemical synthesis, chemical biology, and molecular biology to create and apply photoswitches.
- Evaluating the efficacy and applicability of photoswitches in restoring visual function to the blind retina.
Main Results:
- Light-sensitive chemical photoswitches demonstrate potential for restoring visual function in retinas affected by degenerative diseases.
- The fusion of multiple scientific disciplines enables this innovative therapeutic strategy.
Conclusions:
- Photoswitch therapy presents a viable and broadly applicable strategy for treating blindness.
- This approach holds promise for chemists, neuroscientists, and clinicians in the field of vision restoration.
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