UNMC researcher developing device that may restore sight for some

(June 26, 2009) A retinal implant being developed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center could restore lost vision in those who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that causes progressive tunnel vision and eventually blindness.

About 1.5 million people worldwide are affected.

Mac Brush was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in junior high school. Just 10 years later he is considered legally blind.

For his father, Bill Brush of North Loup, Neb., the disease has caused emotional devastation.

“I enjoy my vision so much with what I get to see every day out here in western Nebraska - hawks, eagles, geese, stars and sunsets – the fact that my son can’t is very hard on me.”

It is the dream of Eyal Margalit, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and director of the retina service at UNMC for Brush be able to share the sights of greater Nebraska with his son again.

Though diseases like retinitis pigmentosa damage the eyes’ photo receptors – the cells responsible for vision – other cells in the retina stay intact, Dr. Margalit said.

Dr. Margalit’s device would stimulate the intact cells with 3,200 electrodes, far more than any device currently being developed. His device also will be wireless, which means surgery to attach it would be less invasive.

“With this device, there’s no cable penetrating the eye, which means less chance of infection and damage to the very delicate retina,” Dr. Margalit said.

With funds from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Nebraska Research Initiative, Dr. Margalit also plans to incorporate an “encoder” in his device that would make it an “intelligent” implant. With the help of a feedback mechanism and the behavioral response of the patient, such an implant would automatically change the amount of stimulation of the retinal cells.

It will be three to five years before Dr. Margalit’s device is tested in clinical trials. Still, for the Brush family, which has no other existing options available, there’s reason to be optimistic. There are the obvious potential physical implications, but such an invention would have an emotional impact as well.

“It would help restore vision and offer hope,” Bill Brush said.

UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country's leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,600 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC's physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.

For more information, contact:
Nicole S. Lindquist, Writer/Media Specialist, Public Relations Department, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Phone: (402) 559-9149 E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it