Retina in vitro? Seriously? Perhaps we will live to see the technology shown in 

, where the hero played by Tom Cruise gets eye implants. It won’t happen tomorrow, though.

In the meantime, Johns Hopkins is growing an important part of this technology in their laboratories.

But we shouldn’t celebrate prematurely. Artificial retinas cannot be used for transplants. However, scientists are looking for a closer understanding on how we distinguish colors. This could help colorblind people.

For example, my friend came into work wearing a hat that was this hideous green color. He was sure that it was brown.

But it isn’t just about terrible hats, or even traffic lights. Colorblindness doesn’t allow people to appreciate the world to the fullest. Maybe it’s some consolation, however, that the non-colorblind can’t see even a thousandth of what tetrachromats supposedly can.

Perhaps even more consolation is tetrachromats’ painting is not very interesting.

And yet another – the majority of our smaller mammalian brothers only have two types of receptors.

THE RETINA – WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON IN THERE?

The retina, as you know, is joined to the optic nerve. It creates a code for the image that’s sent to the brain.

The three classic receptors are differentiated by red, blue, and green colors. Although hundreds of books have been written about this, the exact origin of color in the brain is still a mystery.

It’s interesting study. Evolution (or its author) thought of everything when it came to our vision. But now we drive ourselves crazy trying to solve the puzzle of blindness.

When scientists were developing artificial lenses from stem cells, they noticed that the blue cones form first. Then green, then red.

Generally speaking, it’s mostly nothing. Sensational science of the past, as we know, consists mostly of nothing but great promises and a bright future.

But we have still managed to find a way to hormonally activate or block the growth of photoreceptors. “So what?” you ask again. The fact is that this opens up the possibility of treating colorblindness and age-related changes in the retina. In the opinion of these scientists, of course.

Colorblindness is still incurable today. Partial loss of vision due to retinal degeneration we attempt to treat with stem cell injections. Results are still so-so, but who knows when and where the real scientific breakthrough will occur?

Text: Vadim AvrukinTranslation: Richard Crenwelge

Photo by Luz Mendoza and Jennifer Regnier on Unsplash

Сетчатка в пробирке? Серьезно?

Возможно, мы доживем до технологий, отраженных в фильме Minority Report, где герою Тома Круза пересадили глаза. Но будет это не завтра.

Пока же в лаборатории Университета Джонса Хопкинса выращивают не глаза как таковые, но их важную часть.

Сразу скажем, что для шапкозакидательства оснований нет. Эту искусственную сетчатку нельзя использовать для пересадки. Но ученые смотрят ближе: они пытаются понять, каким образом мы различаем цвета, и помочь дальтоникам.

Мой друг как-то пришел на работу в шляпе ядовито-зеленого цвета, уверенный, что купил коричневую под костюм.

Но дело не только в шляпе или, к примеру, в светофоре. Цветоаномалия не дает людям насладиться красотой мира в полной мере. В утешение им, правда, можно сказать, что и те, кто различают все цвета, не видят и тысячной доли того, что  созерцают (или якобы созерцают) тетрахроматы.

В утешение уже нам самим заметим, что 

живопись тертрахроматов

 – более, чем посредственная.

Еще одно утешение: у большинства братьев наших меньших из числа млекопитающих – лишь два вида рецепторов.

СЕТЧАТКА: ЧТО РЕАЛЬНО ПРОИСХОДИТ В «ШТАБЕ»?

Сетчатка, как вы помните, прилегает к зрительному нерву, где и создается код изображения, поступающий в мозг.

Три классических рецептора различают красный, зеленый и синий цвета. И хотя об этом написаны сотни мудреных книг, как именно происходит рождение цвета в мозгу (или, если угодно, в сознании), пока не очень-то и ясно.

Поучается интересно. Эволюция (или ее автор) все продумала касательно нашего зрения, а мы теперь мучайся в попытках разгадать нейронные ребусы слепой природы.

Так вот в ходе взращивания искусственной сетчатки из стволовых клеток 

, что вначале формируются “синие” колбочки, а уж потом “зеленые” и “красные”.

И ЧТО? – СПРОСИТЕ ВЫ ВПОЛНЕ ЗАКОННО

В общем и целом почти ничего. Научные сенсации последнего времени, как мы уже отмечали, состоят в основном из клятвенных обещаний и великих сверешний в светлом будущем.

Но! Все-таки удалось найти способ активировать или блокировать рост фоторецепторов при помощи гормонов. И что? – снова спросите вы. А то, что это открывает возможность лечения дальтонизма и возрастных изменений сетчатки. По мнению ученых, конечно.

Дальтонизм на сегодня неизлечим. Частичную утрату зрения по причине дегенерации сетчатки пытаются лечить инъекциями стволовых клеток в глаз. Результаты пока так себе, но кто может угадать, где именно и когда грянет подлинная научная революция?

Не исключено, что завтра.

This retina is not for transplant, but scientists are taking a closer look, though, trying to understand how to help patients.

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THE GREEN/BROWN HAT, OR RETINAS IN VITRO

ЗЕЛЕНАЯ КОРИЧНЕВАЯ ШЛЯПА, ИЛИ СЕТЧАТКА В ПРОБИРКЕ

Discussions about the chances of scientific breakthroughs in colorblindness and the role of artificial retinas. What is the main complexity and mysticism of retina? Let's figure it out together!

Дискуссии о шансах научных прорывов в области дальтонизма и лечение стволовыми клетками дегенерации сетчатки. В чем основная сложность и мистика сетчатки, и что так сильно сдерживает научную революцию данной области? Давайте разбираться вместе!

Staff was very personable and accommodated my needs.  Dr Benjamin was very professional and great bedside manner.  I would highly recommend the office to friend and family

An awesome experience as is the norm for our visits to Dr Benjamin. We have trusted him and his office with our multiple surgeries and care for many years, and plan to continue forward. Thank you Dr Benjamin, and your staff.

Great front desk and tech staff. The doctor was super nice and I’m so pleased I found this eye institute! Everyone was great and happy to finally have taken care of an appointment I had been putting off for a while. Great check-in process also for first time patients.

⭐️ My review of LASIK after one year ⭐️I told Dr. Benjamin I would do this a while ago, but I kind of feel like it says a lot I have kept this on my checklist for a year. I feel like a year is a good amount of time to review a procedure like this and give my honest thoughts and recommendation.So, let me tell you about my journey to getting LASIK and how I ended up in the amazing care of Dr. Benjamin. After going to an optometrist for years and him advising against LASIK because of my genetically dry eyes, I finally got a second opinion from an ophthalmologist (Dr. Benjamin). I didn’t know the difference between an optometrist vs. opthalmologist, but once I learned it kind of made sense why my optometrist didn’t want me getting LASIK lol. Because he couldn’t sell me on contact lenses or glasses for the foreseeable future if I got my vision corrected :) I mean, who knows, but I am glad I got a second opinion.I figured being in Los Angeles with some of the best doctors in the world… if anyone is going to touch my big, blue eyeballs, might as well get it done while I’m here. I found this business due to the reviews and they seemed to really know what they were doing and how to talk to clients.Upon meeting Dr. Benjamin he told me that I wasn’t a candidate for LASIK with my dry eyes, but he could put me through treatments for dry eyes and reevaluate after; and that these treatments had a good success rate for most.So, I started doing two treatments every other week for about 2.5 months - IPL laser treatment and Lipiflow. Lipiflow, especially, was a weird painless experience but highly recommend anyone with dry eyes to ask about it regardless of LASIK. I could tell my eyes felt way less dry a couple days after each treatment. There are videos on YouTube that talk about this treatment… Who knew this stuff existed. I’m not gonna lie, it’s an investment to do all these treatments on top of LASIK, but my eyes rarely feel dry anymore so if you’re going to get it done - do it right.Finally, I was approved for LASIK. I ended up waiting until the end of year to make sure I saved up the funds to do it and had some time to heal. I also took advantage of an end of year deal they were offering. $1000 off was a pretty nice forcing function to get me to finally do it after prepping my eyes with the treatments. The procedure itself I couldn’t feel anything even though I was awake the entire time (medicated). Even the scary part when bubbles form on your eyes Dr. Benjamin let me know about in advance so when it happened I just went with the flow. I think the worst part was the recovery the few days after and coming home drugged up lol. I remember day 1 thinking omg what did I do to my eyes. My eyes just hurt and felt weird, but omg I could see 20/15 immediately. And then, day by day it gradually got better. It took a few weeks for my eyes to heal, but after 1 month you couldn’t even tell I had surgery. One eye was a bit more bloodshot than the other.I can see 20/15. It’s been life changing for the past year not having to worry about contacts or glasses. I just got married and was able to walk down the aisle with clear vision. I only wish I had the means to have done this earlier in life. If you’re considering it - do it! And definitely consider Dr. Benjamin to do it right.Lastly, to continue treating my dry eyes, Dr. Benjamin gave me an extra LipiFlow treatment, and also recommended I try punctal plugs (painless plugs inserted into your lids that help your tears last longer). He placed the plugs in my eyes under 5 mins. Wild.I heard from people during the LASIK process they have been nervous to get the procedure so I wrote this to help and because I think highly of this business for changing my life. And, some of the dry eye treatments I would’ve never known about had it not been for them. Again, I wish I would have had been able to do this years ago. It is so, so worth it!Thank you, Dr. Benjamin (and staff!)

Concerned about a reoccurring virus, I text Dr Benjamin’s office first thing in the morning seeking immediate advice and an appointment. In quick time I received both sage advice and a same day appointment. Dr B takes a personal interest in his patients well being and has diligent, competent and attentive staff to support the care and support needed. Can’t speak highly enough.

Been going to Dr B for nearly a decade after trying many other eye doctors in LA.  Beyond solving my chronic dry eye and being the most knowledgeable, he is an all-around great guy and spends time educating. The staff is wonderful as well.

The ophthalmologist that performed my surgery, Dr. Benjamin, was extremely skilled and knowledgeable. He took the time to thoroughly explain the procedure and answer all of my questions. I felt confident in his abilities and knew that I was in good hands.

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The office staff were kind and considerate. The technician that assisted me explained everything she was doing. The Doctor was very nice and explained everything. He was definitely knowledgeable about my condition.

Dr Benjamin has been the “go to” eye specialist for 3 generations of my family, starting with my father and now grown children. Simply put, he’s an exceptionally capable, trustworthy, and cutting edge doctor with a courteous and professional staff.Without any reservations, I recommend him to anyone seeking an exceptional eye doctor.

The surgeons at Benjamin Eye Institute are true experts in their field - they were able to explain the procedure in detail and answer all of my questions and concerns. The surgery itself was quick and painless, and the recovery was much faster than I had anticipated.

I just completed my first visit and can say that this office deserves every high ranking it gets. The staff are efficient, friendly but highly professional.  The office is modern and sparkling clean. The examination was smooth and thorough. The doctor saw me on time.  He listened closely to the background of my problem, and he clearly communicated his treatment plan and the rationale for it. I absolutely trust him and highly recommend him.

Dr. Benjamin is always personable and thoughtful and very much an expert.  He has been my eye doctor for many years.  Now that I am older I am very grateful that he is still my ophthalmologist. Everyone in the office is very helpful. I, of course, highly recommend Dr. Benjamin.

One of the things that sets the Benjamin Eye Institute apart from other ophthalmology practices is their team of experienced and highly trained surgeons. The surgeons at the Benjamin Eye Institute have performed thousands of cataract and LASIK surgeries, and have a wealth of experience in these procedures. They are committed to providing the best possible care for their patients and strive to achieve excellent outcomes.

No exaggeration, this was the best visit with any doctor I've ever had. The facility is very nice, the staff is exceptionally thorough, professional, and efficient and Dr Arthur had by far the best bed side manner I've ever encountered. I 100% recommend him and his team

My experience at Benjamin Eye Institute was exceptional.  I’m not sure if I’ve ever encountered such an efficient and professional staff in a doctor’s office.  The front desk was communicative and everyone up to the doctor was beyond detailed in their care.  I would recommend this place to anyone who has eye problems because they have the most advanced equipment and Dr. Benjamin is caring, thorough and knowledgeable.

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Dr.Benjamin is the best of the best.Very personable, knowledgeable and kind.I had a stye and in a bad shape.He  took me right in.His staff polite , kind and very professional.Highly recommended.

My 18-year-old son has been under Dr. Benjamin's care, and we were truly impressed by the level of service we received at Benjamin Eye Institute. From the moment we stepped into the clinic, the staff was incredibly helpful and accommodating.Dr. Benjamin conducted a comprehensive eye exam for my son, and his expertise and professionalism were evident throughout the entire process. He took the time to explain everything clearly, making sure my son understood his eye health and any potential concerns. His patience and attentiveness were truly appreciated.We highly recommend Dr. Benjamin to anyone seeking exceptional eye care. He and his team exceeded our expectations, and we are grateful for the outstanding service we received. Thank you, Dr. Benjamin!

Dr Benjamin and Alba were great. He is very professional, kind and with clear explanations. I had an eyelid quick surgery and I’m just missing the glasses prescription, I left the office and forgot to ask for it. But he and his team were amazing!

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More than everything I value professional people. Dr. Arthur Benjamin is one of them. He is taking care of me and my husband for pretty long time. All I can say we are very thankful to the doctor and people who work as a team to make us healthy and happy !

LASIK Eye Surgery- The short is go see Dr. Benjamin!I visited Dr. Benjamin Eye Institute after deciding I wanted to learn more about Lasik eye surgery and what the process would look like. I stare at computer screens for very long periods of time so I was nervous to make this life change but ready to ditch my glasses for good! The entire team from day 1 of my consultation made me feel very comfortable. The office is clean the staff are extremely welcoming, friendly and all took the time to answer any questions I had about the procedure - which was very quick and painless the day of. They also have awesome social content for educational purposes and just to make you laugh!I am about a month post procedure and it has been life changing and a freedom restored. Your eyes are important so make sure you consult with the best.Thank you Dr. Benjamin and team!!!

Dr. Benjamin is an exceptional doctor and eye surgeon. He is innovative, and anticipates a patient’s needs. Above all Dr. Benjamin is kind and caring. My results are outstanding. I can thank him for changing my life. Thank you.

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