Scientists study snail that can grow its eyes back in hope of helping humans with eye injuries
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.