Latest news with #eyeregeneration
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Snail's regenerating eye may unlock cure for human blindness
On August 6, 2025, researchers in California revealed how freshwater apple snails can regrow lost eyes. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows the process mirrors human eye anatomy and genetics. Scientists hope isolating the key genes could one day enable humans to regenerate damaged eyes.
The Independent
07-08-2025
- Science
- The Independent
The species that can regrow their eyes after amputation
Scientists are studying the freshwater apple snail's ability to fully regenerate its eyes, hoping to apply this knowledge to help humans with eye injuries. Research has revealed that the complex structure of human eyes shares significant anatomical and genetic similarities with those of the apple snail. Led by Alice Accorsi at the University of California, the team is using genome editing techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 to understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind the snail's eye regeneration. Apple snails are ideal for this research due to their resilience, rapid breeding, and 'camera-type' eyes, which are similar to human eyes and produce high-resolution images. The study details the snail's regeneration process, showing how new eye structures, including the lens and retina, form within weeks after amputation, with the ultimate aim of identifying genes that could enable human eye regeneration.
