MacLaren R E
Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford and Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.
Eye (Lond). 2017 Feb;31(2):191-195. doi: 10.1038/eye.2016.280. Epub 2017 Jan 6.
Blindness due to outer retinal degeneration still remains largely untreatable. Photoreceptor loss removes light sensitivity, but the remaining inner retinal layers, the optic nerve, and indeed the physical structure of the eye itself may be unaffected by the degenerative processes. This provides the opportunity to restore some degree of vision with an electronic device in the subretinal space. In this lecture I will provide an overview of our experiences with the first-generation retinal implant Alpha IMS, developed by Retina Implant AG and based on the technology developed by Eberhart Zrenner as part of a multicentre clinical trial (NCT01024803). We are currently in the process of running a second NIHR-funded clinical trial to assess the next-generation device. The positive results from both studies to date indicate that the retinal implant should be included as a potential treatment for patients who are completely blind from retinitis pigmentosa. Evolution of the technology in future may provide further opportunities for earlier intervention or for other diseases.
由于外层视网膜变性导致的失明在很大程度上仍然无法治疗。光感受器的丧失消除了光敏感性，但剩余的内层视网膜、视神经以及眼睛本身的物理结构可能不受退行性病变过程的影响。这为在视网膜下空间使用电子设备恢复一定程度的视力提供了机会。在本次讲座中，我将概述我们在第一代视网膜植入物Alpha IMS方面的经验，该植入物由Retina Implant AG公司研发，基于埃伯哈特·兹伦纳开发的技术，是一项多中心临床试验（NCT01024803）的一部分。我们目前正在进行第二项由英国国家卫生研究院资助的临床试验，以评估下一代设备。迄今为止，两项研究的积极结果表明，视网膜植入物应被视为对患有色素性视网膜炎而完全失明的患者的一种潜在治疗方法。未来该技术的发展可能为早期干预或其他疾病提供更多机会。
