Eyes from a deceased donor have been successfully revived, how come?

KOMPAS.com – Scientists at United States of America managed to revive the cells mata from deceased donors.

The study was carried out using donated eyes to better understand how nerve cells succumb to a lack of oxygen, by measuring activity in cells retina mice and humans as soon as possible after their death.

By adjusting some of the tissue environments, the study was able to revive the cells’ ability to communicate within hours of death.

When stimulated by light, the retina post-mortem emit a specific electrical signal known as a b-wave. These waves are also seen in the retinas of living people, meaning they represent communication between all the layers of macular cells that make it possible to see.

It was the first time that the eyes of a deceased human donor responded to light in this way, leading some experts to question the irreversible nature of death in humans. nervous system center.

“We were able to awaken photoreceptor cells in the human macula, which is part of the retina, responsible for central vision and the ability to see fine detail and color,” said biomedical scientist Fatima Abbas of the University of Utah. Science AlertThursday (12/5/2022).

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Mata obtained up to five hours after the donor’s death, cells respond to bright light, colored light, and even very faint flashes of light.

After death occurs, it is possible to save several organs in the human body for transplantation, including eye organs. But once circulation stops, the central nervous system as a whole stops responding too quickly to any form of long-term recovery.

But different regions and cell types have different survival mechanisms, making the overall problem of brain death much more complicated.

Studying how certain tissues in the nervous system cope with oxygen loss can provide information about restoring lost brain function.

Previous research conducted in 2018 by scientists at Yale University, scientists were able to keep pig brains alive for 36 hours after death.

Four hours post-mortemthe researcher is able to relive small responses even though there is no organized or overall response that can be measured by electroencephalogram (EEG).

Study eye cells reanimation after the donor dies is achieved by stopping the rapid degradation of mammalian neurons, using artificial blood, heaters, and pumps to restore circulating oxygen and nutrients.

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