title: A fully organic retinal prosthesis restores vision in a rat model of degenerative blindness.
abstract: The degeneration of photoreceptors in the retina is one of the major causes of adult blindness in humans. Unfortunately, no effective clinical treatments exist for the majority of retinal degenerative disorders. Here we report on the fabrication and functional validation of a fully organic prosthesis for long-term in vivo subretinal implantation in the eye of Royal College of Surgeons rats, a widely recognized model of retinitis pigmentosa. Electrophysiological and behavioural analyses reveal a prosthesis-dependent recovery of light sensitivity and visual acuity that persists up to 6-10 months after surgery. The rescue of the visual function is accompanied by an increase in the basal metabolic activity of the primary visual cortex, as demonstrated by positron emission tomography imaging. Our results highlight the possibility of developing a new generation of fully organic, highly biocompatible and functionally autonomous photovoltaic prostheses for subretinal implants to treat degenerative blindness.
authors.affiliation: Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: José Fernando
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Maya-Vetencourt
authors.affiliation: Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.affiliation: Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Antognazza
authors.affiliation: Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Sacro Cuore Hospital - Don Calabria, Negrar, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mete
authors.affiliation: Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Feyen
authors.affiliation: Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Desii
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Nuclear Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Ambra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buschiazzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Science, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Science, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Marco
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Nuclear Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ticconi
authors.affiliation: Animal Facility, National Institute Cancer Research, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Emionite
authors.affiliation: Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Dmytro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shmal
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Bio-imaging and Physiology (IBFM), CNR, Milan (GE section), Italy.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.affiliation: Innovhub-SSI, Silk Division, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Donelli
authors.affiliation: Innovhub-SSI, Silk Division, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Freddi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Science, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maccarone
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Science, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bisti
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science, Nuclear Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianmario
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sambuceti
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, Sacro Cuore Hospital - Don Calabria, Negrar, Italy.
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pertile
authors.affiliation: Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanzani
authors.affiliation: Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.|Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benfenati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001766:Blindness / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D051381:Rats; D020127:Recovery of Function; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D057488:Visual Prosthesis
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals