Golden Eyes: A New Vision for Restoring Sight With Nanotechnology

Researchers at Brown University have pioneered a promising technique that could one day help people regain sight lost to retinal diseases like macular degeneration — using gold nanoparticles thousands of times thinner than a human hair.

Published in ACS Nano and backed by the NIH, the study shows how these nanoparticles, injected into the retina, can activate visual pathways in mice. Combined with a near-infrared laser system embedded in wearable goggles, this approach offers a non-invasive alternative to current retinal implants.

“This represents a new kind of visual prosthesis that doesn’t require complex surgery or genetic engineering,” said lead researcher Jiarui Nie.

By bypassing damaged photoreceptor cells and directly stimulating intact bipolar and ganglion cells, the method simulates how healthy eyes process light. Experiments confirmed that the retina responded to laser-projected images, and mice showed increased activity in brain regions linked to vision — a strong sign of restored visual function.

Unlike traditional retinal implants that require surgical electrode arrays, this technique involves a simple injection. Plus, it may offer broader visual resolution and preserve any remaining natural sight.

Though more research is needed before clinical trials, the results are a hopeful step toward human applications.

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https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-04-16/goldeneyes