• Dasha Nelidova, Rei K Morikawa, Cameron S Cowan, Zoltan Raics, David Goldblum, SchollHendrik P NHPNInstitute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland.Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA., Tamas Szikra, Arnold Szabo, Daniel Hillier, and Botond Roska.
• Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
• Science. 2020 Jun 5; 368 (6495): 1108-1113.

AbstractEnabling near-infrared light sensitivity in a blind human retina may supplement or restore visual function in patients with regional retinal degeneration. We induced near-infrared light sensitivity using gold nanorods bound to temperature-sensitive engineered transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. We expressed mammalian or snake TRP channels in light-insensitive retinal cones in a mouse model of retinal degeneration. Near-infrared stimulation increased activity in cones, ganglion cell layer neurons, and cortical neurons, and enabled mice to perform a learned light-driven behavior. We tuned responses to different wavelengths, by using nanorods of different lengths, and to different radiant powers, by using engineered channels with different temperature thresholds. We targeted TRP channels to human retinas, which allowed the postmortem activation of different cell types by near-infrared light.Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

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