研究人员认为藻类植物体内的某种细胞可以用来替换视网膜中受损的细胞。据悉，这项技术已经在小白鼠身上取得成功，科学家认为两年内可以将其应用于人体试验。

　　"The idea is to develop a treatment for blindness," Alan Horsager, at the University of southern California, told the New Scientist.

　　南加州大学的阿兰 霍尔萨格尔在接受《新科学家》杂志采访时说：“藉此，将开发出治疗失明的新疗法。”

　　More than a million people in Britain suffer from vision problems caused by a damaged or malfunctioning retinas.

　　有一百多万的英国人人因视网膜受损或机能失常而视力受损。

　　The retina is the "business end" of the eye, where nerve cells convert light into electrical and chemical signals that are sent to the brain down the optic nerve. If it is not working then the eye is useless.

　　视网膜是眼睛的"运作终端"，膜上的神经细胞将进入眼球的光转化为电信号和化学信号，然后经过视觉神经传输给大脑。如果丧失了这种机能，人就无法看到东西。

　　Algae need to be sensitive to light so they can seek out sunlight for photosynthesis and it is the cells they use to do this that scientists hope to use to replenish damaged equivalents in the human eye.

　　而藻类植物需要通过光合作用将太阳光转化为所需能量，所以它们必须对光非常敏感。科学家正是利用了这种细胞的特性来试图修复人眼受损细胞。

　　It involves injecting the gene into the retina. Early tests showed that blind mice were able to see light again after treatment and that the effect appears to be permanent.

　　做这项实验首先需将从藻类植物中提取的基因注射进视网膜上的神经细胞中。早期的试验证明经过治疗的小白鼠又能重见光明，治疗效果也比较持久。

　　"It's good on paper, and it is clear they are heading for a clinical trial with the information they are gathering. The question is how good is it going to be? Just light/dark or are people going to be able to read large texts," said Pete Coffey, at University College London.

　　伦敦大学学院的皮特 科菲说：“理论上讲这个方法还是不错，研究人员在收集了相关信息基础上，正在积极策划进行临床试验。但问题是这种技术究竟如何?只是让人产生光感，还是能让人看到更清晰的事物?”