Wide Angle: Retinal Implants to Battle Diabetic Retinopathy

August 18, 2009

Granted, the title of this post is truly a mouthful. But, stick with me here, because this podcast will introduce you to some very, very cool technology and some interesting scientific research. All you have to do, as they say, is keep your eye on the ball. Bad joke, sorry...not enough coffee yet this morning. Anyway, our current Wide Angle coverage is all about tissue engineering. My contribution is not quite engineering; perhaps better to call it a bit of re-engineering. The story starts with a somewhat chance meeting a decade ago between Elias Greenbaum, who is currently a Corporate Fellow at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and retinal surgeon Mark Humayun of The Doheny Eye Institute. Greenbaum's background is in the physics and chemistry of photosynthesis. Humayun was interested in developing retinal implants. However far apart those two areas of science sound, the two quickly realized there was overlap. A lot of overlap. Greenbaum studies how plant cells convert light energy into electrical energy. Humayun's work involved applying voltages and currents to the surviving retinal cells of blind people to see if it could stimulate macular regeneration. Together, they started work on developing retinal implants that would use photosynthetic style "reaction centers," instead of electrical current. That work continues.

But along the way, the team branched out a bit. They started to look circulatory complications that happen in diabetics. And that's where Greenbaum picks up the story in this Wide Angle podcast. Click here to download and take it with you, or simply listen using the player below.

(Eye schematic by Rhcastilhos via Wikimedia Commons)