TY - JOUR
T1 - Subretinally injected semiconducting polymer nanoparticles rescue vision in a rat model of retinal dystrophy
AU - Maya-Vetencourt, José Fernando
AU - Manfredi, Giovanni
AU - Mete, Maurizio
AU - Colombo, Elisabetta
AU - Bramini, Mattia
AU - Di Marco, Stefano
AU - Shmal, Dmytro
AU - Mantero, Giulia
AU - Dipalo, Michele
AU - Rocchi, Anna
AU - DiFrancesco, Mattia L.
AU - Papaleo, Ermanno D.
AU - Russo, Angela
AU - Barsotti, Jonathan
AU - Eleftheriou, Cyril
AU - Di Maria, Francesca
AU - Cossu, Vanessa
AU - Piazza, Fabio
AU - Emionite, Laura
AU - Ticconi, Flavia
AU - Marini, Cecilia
AU - Sambuceti, Gianmario
AU - Pertile, Grazia
AU - Lanzani, Guglielmo
AU - Benfenati, Fabio
PY - 2020/8/1
Y1 - 2020/8/1
N2 - Inherited retinal dystrophies and late-stage age-related macular degeneration, for which treatments remain limited, are among the most prevalent causes of legal blindness. Retinal prostheses have been developed to stimulate the inner retinal network; however, lack of sensitivity and resolution, and the need for wiring or external cameras, have limited their application. Here we show that conjugated polymer nanoparticles (P3HT NPs) mediate light-evoked stimulation of retinal neurons and persistently rescue visual functions when subretinally injected in a rat model of retinitis pigmentosa. P3HT NPs spread out over the entire subretinal space and promote light-dependent activation of spared inner retinal neurons, recovering subcortical, cortical and behavioural visual responses in the absence of trophic effects or retinal inflammation. By conferring sustained light sensitivity to degenerate retinas after a single injection, and with the potential for high spatial resolution, P3HT NPs provide a new avenue in retinal prosthetics with potential applications not only in retinitis pigmentosa, but also in age-related macular degeneration.
AB - Inherited retinal dystrophies and late-stage age-related macular degeneration, for which treatments remain limited, are among the most prevalent causes of legal blindness. Retinal prostheses have been developed to stimulate the inner retinal network; however, lack of sensitivity and resolution, and the need for wiring or external cameras, have limited their application. Here we show that conjugated polymer nanoparticles (P3HT NPs) mediate light-evoked stimulation of retinal neurons and persistently rescue visual functions when subretinally injected in a rat model of retinitis pigmentosa. P3HT NPs spread out over the entire subretinal space and promote light-dependent activation of spared inner retinal neurons, recovering subcortical, cortical and behavioural visual responses in the absence of trophic effects or retinal inflammation. By conferring sustained light sensitivity to degenerate retinas after a single injection, and with the potential for high spatial resolution, P3HT NPs provide a new avenue in retinal prosthetics with potential applications not only in retinitis pigmentosa, but also in age-related macular degeneration.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41565-020-0696-3
DO - 10.1038/s41565-020-0696-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 32601447
AN - SCOPUS:85087018225
VL - 15
SP - 698
EP - 708
JO - Nature Nanotechnology
JF - Nature Nanotechnology
SN - 1748-3387
IS - 8
ER -