Algae proteins partially restore man’s sight 藻类蛋白帮助男子恢复部分视力

陈小将

通过利用藻类中首次发现的感光蛋白，一名完全失明男子的部分视力得到了恢复。
The man from Brittany in France was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa 40 years ago. Doctors used a pioneering technique called optogenetics to try to restore his vision.
40年前，这名来自法国布列塔尼的男子被诊断患有视网膜色素变性。医生们用了一种名为光遗传学的开创性技术来试图恢复他的视力。
It’s based on the proteins that microscopic algae use to swim towards the light and requires a special pair of goggles to convert natural light into the right wavelength for the proteins.
该技术基于利用帮助微藻游向光的蛋白质，病人需要戴上一副特殊的护目镜以将自然光转换成适合这种蛋白质的波长。
The patient knew the method was working when he could see the stripes of a pedestrian crossing. He does not have perfect sight, but the difference between none and limited vision is still life-changing.
当这位病人可以看到人行横道上的斑马线时，就知道这个方法是有效的。虽然他的视力并没有恢复到正常水平，但从完全失明变成有部分视力仍然能够改变人生。