NANOTECHNOLOGY

NANOTECHNOLOGY
APPLIED TO THE RETINA
APPLIED TO THE RETINA
David Amat
16 de novembre de 2015
Curs 2015-2016
Nanotecnologia
Enginyeria Fsica

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

REFERENCES
Basic Reference

Intravitreal silicon-based quantum dots as neuroprotective factors in a

model of photoreceptor degeneration (Olson JL, Velez-Montoya R,
Mandava N, Stoldt CR) IOVS Jorunal 2012, Aug

Other References

Neuroprotective Effect of Photoactive Quantum Dots in Progressive

Retinal Photoreceptor Degeneration (Olson JL, Velez-Montoya R, Mandava
N, Stoldt CR) Journal of Nanomaterials & Molecular Nanotechnology, 2013
Jul

Artificial means for restoring vision (Parwez Hossain, Ian W Seetho,

Andrew C Browning,Winfried M Amoaku), BMJ Journal, 2005 Feb

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

OUTLINE
Introduction to retinal structure and biological behaviour
Aim of the experiment
Designing the experiment
Results
Discussions

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

Introduction to retinal
structure

161 million people with visual impairment (2,2% of worldwide population)

Retinal disorders: degeneration of neural cells (photoreceptors, bipolar cells)
Irreversible effect
Electric stimulation as method of prevention

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

Biological behaviour

Disks in rods contain rhodopsin proteins

Rhodopsin proteins contain 11-cis retinal
Photoisomerization becuase of light

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

Biological behaviour

When light strikes, the transducin protein is ACTIVATED

PDE transforms cGMP to GMP
Closure of ion channels

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

Biological behaviour

Absence of cGMP makes the ion channels to CLOSE

Negative potential inside
Rods hyperpolarized
Electric negative current send to BIPOLAR CELLS

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

How eyes are tested (ERG)

a-wave due to photoreceptor negative potential response

b-wave due to bipolar and ganglion cells
Rod response in DARK ADAPTED EYES
Cone response in LIGHT ADAPTED EYES

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

Aim of the experiment

Photoreceptor degeneration
starts at 3rd week of life!

Use of quantum dots as electrical stimulous generator

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

Designing the experiment

32 eyes divided in 4 groups of 8 eyes each
Control

Sham

QD active

QD inactive

1 dose

2 doses

3 doses

4 eyes

2 eyes

2 eyes

Sham group received saline injection

QD in a colloidal aqueous medium conjugated with surfactant proteins
QD active: silicon QD, gets excited by 750 nm wavelength (near IR)
QD inactive: gold QD, gets excited by 520 nm (below laboratory light
threshold)
Experiment lasted 7 weeks
Each week an ERG was obtained
Second dose injecion at week 3, and third dose at week 6
After 7 weeks, rats euthanized and histological retina images analysis

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Results
1. Rod response by groups

Silicon
Gold
Sham
Control

High voltage response in the active QDs eyes

analyzed
Inactive QDs eyes behave as the sham group
Inactive, sham and control group show a poor
voltage response at week 7 compared to active QD
high response

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Results
2. Quantum Dots migration

A: one hour after the injection quantum dots internal membrane retina
B: Six hours after the injection quantum dots migration across retina
By 2 day all QD have crossed retina
Nanoparticles injected in eye are cleared by endothelial system

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

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Results
3. Number of injections

1 injection
2 injections
3 injections
Control

Repetitive process improving the results

Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

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Results
4. Retina histology: cell count

A: Silicon QDs eye: all reinal layers well-preserved

B: Gold QDs eye: loose of photoreceptors in ONL
C: Control eye: very thin layer (most of them have degenerated)

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Discussions
Electric
stimulation
Quantum
Dots

Implants

Drawbacks

No surgery

Chip retina
Parkinson

More [QD]

Surgery
needed

Process
repeated

Retinal
detachment

pH remove
coating

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Thanks for your attention

Now its your turn:
If you have any

Q U E S T I O
N
just ASK
Enginyeria Fsica 2015/2016 Nanotechnology

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