Integrated approach to recover vision by electrical stimulation

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25293354
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Fujikado Takashi 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (50243233)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 森本 壮 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (00530198) ; 松下 賢治 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 講師 (40437405) ; 神田 寛行 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (50570248) ; 三好 智満 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (70314309) ; 辻川 元一 大阪大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 寄附講座教授 (70419472)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 電気刺激 / 神経保護 / ラマン分光 / 人工網膜 / 錐体密度 / 補償光学眼底カメラ / 錐体密度

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In 2 of 3 patients who underwent clinical trial on artificial retina in 2014 - 2015, the residual vision improved 6 months after surgery, suggesting that continuous electrical stimulation is effective to improve neural function. As a basic experiment to elucidate its mechanism, we investigated early changes of neuronal cell death using a Raman microscope and showed that kinetics of mitochondria- related to cell death can be observed in a living state. In retinitis pigmentosa, photoreceptors gradually degenerate. In order to quantify this, we developed an automatic measurement system for cone density using an adaptive optics (AO) fundus camera. We plan to further elucidate the neuronal activation mechanism by electrical stimulation using Raman microscope and AO fundus camera in the future.

Free Research Field

眼科学