This Wednesday, May 11, Fatima Abbas and her colleagues at the University of Utah, USA, published the results of their recent research in the scientific journal Nature. Researchers have made a discovery that could be crucial, particularly in the context of organ donation. They succeeded in “bringing life back” to photoreceptor cells from the eyes of deceased organ donors, but also and above all in “restoring communication” between these cells.
Up to five hours after death
American researchers have researched the eyes of 20 people who donated their bodies to science. The team succeeded in developing a process capable of “waking up” the photoreceptor cells of the central part of the retina of a deceased person.
“Up to five hours after the donor died, these cells responded to bright light, colored lights, and even very faint glows,” said Fatima Abbas, lead author of the study.
This discovery could have many impacts. In particular, it will make it possible to carry out new studies on the human central nervous system. It also raises questions, in particular about the irreversibility of the death of neuronal cells.