Hybrid synapse for vision

Description

Age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa are common eye diseases, caused by the degeneration of photoreceptors, which deprives bipolar cells (BCs) of light-dependent synaptic input. Treatment today is focused mainly on delaying vision loss. However, the neuronal damage affects only the presynaptic side of the synapse, while the possibility of activation of the denervated postsynaptic side remains preserved. Therefore, the EU-funded HyVIS project aims to combine several technologies to achieve the groundbreaking restoration of synaptic light-mediated input to BCs. It will conduct an artificial reproduction of basic processes responsible for the formation of the retinal image using an optically driven hybrid connection between a nano-sized neurotransmitter-releasing device and the denervated postsynaptic cell.