What if your eyes could fix themselves? Turns out, your body might already have what it takes to regrow the cells you need to see better—and scientists may have found the switch to simply turn it back on.
Researchers in South Korea found a protein, PROX1, that acts sort of like a molecular gatekeeper, suppressing your body’s natural ability to regrow damaged retinal cells. When the scientists blocked PROX1 in mice, something incredible happened: they regenerated essential vision cells for a whopping six months.
For mice, that’s a huge milestone. Zebrafish and amphibians have done this naturally for ages, but the regenerative implications for mammals—and maybe humans—are seismic.
Watch Pop Mech editors Andrew Daniels and Manasee Wagh discuss the new discovery that could reshape how we treat blindness.
Andrew and Manasee break down why this is such a groundbreaking moment in regenerative medicine, how retinal cells are basically extensions of your brain, and what this new study could mean for millions of people (and Andrew’s dog) suffering from degenerative eye diseases.
Along the way, they also explore other mind-blowing methods for restoring eyesight, including one that uses gold nanoparticles and lasers—yes, really.
Watch the full episode above now, and find more installments of the Astounding Pop Mech Show on PopularMechanics.com.
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