Retinoid restores eye-specific brain responses in mice with retinal degeneration | Hacker News Reader

Retinoid restores eye-specific brain responses in mice with retinal degeneration

cell.com

81 pointsbookofjoe6 comments

This seems initially strange since one of the common side effects of retinoids like tretinoin and adapalene is they cause dry eye by damaging the meibomian gland. Unless anybody knows better, if this treatment works, it probably comes at the cost of dry eyes.

I've been seeing a steady parade of research talking about restoring sight. Gene therapy, electrical signals on the optic nerve, various chemical treatments. Some of these even get mildly positive results in human clinical trials. But then it's silence from it. Anyone more educated on the subject matter than myself have any thoughts on the matter?

Interesting. My only understanding of retinoids is with regards to skincare and, to my knowledge, its mode of function is essentially to increase cell turnover. Is this the same function here/ is that what accounts for this improvement?

The retina is a very complex structure. I’m skeptical that if major damage happens to the structure, like wet macular degeneration or in retinal diseases like PIC, that the structure can ever function again.

Given that every body is capable of creating two working retina, why would you think it can’t re-create at least one working retina?

It clearly doesn’t know that the need exists. We have to find the right set of commands and hack the body to re-create one. But the procedure exists even if it involves retina removal and 5+ years of new retina growth (from infant to child).

Null hypothesis: A Nanotransfection (vasculogenic stromal reprogramming) intervention would not result in significant retinal or corneal regrowth

... With or without: a nerve growth factor, e.g. fluoxetine to induce plasticity in the adult visual cortex, combination therapy with cultured conjunctival IPS, laser mechanical scar tissue evisceration and removal, local anesthesia, robotic support, Retinoid

Nanotransfection: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tissue_nanotransfection :

> Most reprogramming methods have a heavy reliance on viral transfection. [22][23] TNT allows for implementation of a non-viral approach which is able to overcome issues of capsid size, increase safety, and increase deterministic reprogramming

https://www.google.com/search?q=Nanotransfection

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