We found that we had got functional return of vision and orientating behaviour Dr Rutledge EllisBehnke To find novel way around these problems, the team based at Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, US, and Hong Kong University looked towards nanotechnology branch of science involving the manipulation of atoms and molecules. If this can be used while operating on humans to mitigate damage during neurosurgery, that would be the first step, Dr EllisBehnke told the BBC News website. We had never seen that before so that was very surprising.

And this can make treatment by medical and surgical methods very difficult. We found that we had got functional return of vision and orientating behaviour Dr Rutledge EllisBehnke To find novel way around these problems, the team based at Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, US, and Hong Kong University looked towards nanotechnology branch of science involving the manipulation of atoms and molecules. Eventually what we would look at is trying to reconnect disconnected parts of the brain during stroke and trauma. Dr EllisBehnke said that stroke and traumatic brain injury could have major impact on an individual.

Importantly, the newly formed brain tissue enabled the brain nerves to regrow, restoring vision in the injured hamsters. The scientists discovered that brain tissue in the hamsters knitted together across the molecular scaffold, while also preventing scar tissue from forming. And this can make treatment by medical and surgical methods very difficult. Email this to friend Printable version Nanotech helps blind hamsters see Nerve growth shown in green occurred after the injections Nanotechnology has restored the sight of blind rodents, new study shows.

Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites TOP SCIENCENATURE STORIES Mars twofaced riddle solved UK plans big wind power expansion Fossil fills out waterland leapNerve growth shown in green occurred after the injections Nanotechnology has restored the sight of blind rodents, new study shows. The first thing we saw was that the brain had started to heal itself in the first hours.

The researchers injected the blind hamsters at the site of their injury with solution containing nanoparticles, the nerves regrew and sight returned. Once inside the hamsters brain, the peptides spontaneously arranged into scaffoldlike crisscross of nanofibres, which bridged the gap between the severed nerves. Scientists mimicked the effect of traumatic brain injury by severing the optical nerve tract in hamsters, causing the animals to lose vision. We made cut, put the material in, and then we looked at the brain over different time points, explained Dr Rutledge EllisBehnke, neuroscientist at MIT and lead author on the paper.