UC San Diego and Scripps Research have joined a national team to advance the THEA-VISION project, an ambitious initiative focused on restoring vision through whole eye transplants. The collaboration aims to leverage innovative technologies to stimulate and regenerate the optic nerve, potentially re-establishing connections between the transplanted eye and the brain.
Innovative Electrode Technology
A key component of UC San Diego's contribution is a biocompatible electrode interface utilizing platinum nanorods (PtNRs). Invented by Dayeh’s research group, these electrodes can be applied in various areas of the central and peripheral nervous system. These devices come in various forms, including electrode arrays with thousands of channels to capture brain activity in unprecedented resolution. The technology is being adapted to stimulate the retina and map the topographical organization of retinal-optic nerve-brain pathways.
Optic Nerve Regeneration
In later phases of the project, the team will employ human-grade, inflatable electrodes to stimulate and help regenerate the optic nerve. These electrodes generate electrical signals designed to direct the growth of axons within the optic nerve, facilitating reconnection between the transplanted nerve and the brain. This approach addresses a critical challenge in whole eye transplantation: re-establishing neural connections.
Clinical Trial Approval
Adding to the collaborative effort, the FDA recently approved a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of an electronic grid developed by Dayeh’s team to record brain activity during surgery. This milestone underscores the translational potential of the technologies being developed within the THEA-VISION project.
Collaborative Team
The UC San Diego team includes professors Ian Galton, Hanh-Phuc Le, and Drew Hall from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as Dr. David Roth from the Department of Anesthesiology, and Karen Tonsfeldt, a project scientist in biological sciences and electrical engineering. Dayeh will also collaborate with Drs. Hoi Sang U and Marc Schwartz of the Department of Neurological Surgery, and Dr. Derek Welsbie in the Department of Ophthalmology. Dayeh’s Integrated Electronics and Biointerfaces Laboratory (IEBL) team will focus on translational animal and human experiments.
