{"id":686022,"date":"2025-12-08T16:00:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T21:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=686022"},"modified":"2026-10-05T12:13:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T16:13:43","slug":"eyesight-vision-loss-restoration-can-blindness-be-cured-686022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/eyesight-vision-loss-restoration-can-blindness-be-cured-686022\/","title":{"rendered":"Can lost vision be restored?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-embed\">\n<div class=\"wp-embed-wrap\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ever Wonder: Can Vision Be Restored?\" width=\"1062\" height=\"597\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kZLZqACgLCk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>URochester researchers are at the forefront of improving eyesight while discovering how our visual system works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1392,"featured_media":687512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42472],"tags":[22582,15372,18672,41792,20222,18632,18652,42562,32622,42492,43102,41882,41012],"class_list":["post-686022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-medicine","tag-center-for-visual-science","tag-david-williams","tag-department-of-brain-and-cognitive-sciences","tag-ever-wonder","tag-flaum-eye-institute","tag-hajim-school-of-engineering-and-applied-sciences","tag-institute-of-optics","tag-juliette-mcgregor","tag-krystel-huxlin","tag-medical-center","tag-research-impact-advances","tag-susana-marcos","tag-videos"],"acf":{"external":"","hide_featured_image":true,"related":"show_related","style":[599212,472552,659362],"content_modules":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-15","title":"<h2>Leveraging neuroscience, optics, and healthcare, URochester researchers are at the forefront of understanding vision loss and restoring eyesight.<\/h2>","content":"Almost everyone knows someone who wears glasses or contact lenses. Correcting blurry vision is common, especially among aging adults. The National Institutes of Health <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6142972\/\">estimates<\/a> that nearly 93 percent of people over 70 wear lenses. Unfortunately, not every visual problem associated with aging is so easily corrected.\r\n\r\n\u201cVision is complicated, and we don\u2019t yet have a complete understanding of how it works, let alone how to prevent these complex diseases,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/people\/112362962-juliette-e-mcgregor?clinical=false\">Juliette McGregor<\/a>, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\">糖心传媒<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\">Medical Center<\/a>. \u201cVision is a really fundamental sense that helps us with the activities of daily life, but it also brings us a lot of joy. Sharing a smile or seeing a beautiful sunset are important not just for independence, but also for our well-being. Researchers are working hard to create new technologies and treatments designed to allow people with vision loss to regain some visual performance.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_687232\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"450\"]<img class=\"wp-image-687232\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/inline-2021-08-30_Juliette_McGregor_083_1000w.jpg\" alt=\"Circle crop of an outdoor portrait of Juliette McGregor.\" width=\"450\" height=\"450\" \/> Juliette McGregor (糖心传媒 photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nResearchers have found that in other animals, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1534580724004404\">such as zebrafish<\/a>, the eye and brain can regenerate after injury, but in humans, this type of regeneration or regrowth does not happen. Cells in the back of the eye, that detect light, process visual signals, and then send that information to the brain, are vulnerable to damage, especially in common age-related conditions like macular degeneration and glaucomas. Once these neuronal cells are damaged and stop working, they cannot regrow or be repaired.\r\n\r\n\u201cIdeally, we would prevent these diseases, but we are not yet in a position to do so,\u201d says McGregor. \u201cWe can try to slow disease progression, but once neuronal cells are lost, there is nothing we can do beyond helping people to adjust to visual impairment. Research has expanded our understanding of how we see, but there is still much to learn, and whether we can restore high-quality vision after it has been lost is being actively explored.\u201d","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-15","title":"<h3>How vision works<\/h3>","content":"<blockquote><span class=\"TextRun SCXW95531895 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95531895 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">\u201cThe <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95531895 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">c<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95531895 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">ornea and the lens<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95531895 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\"> focus light just <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95531895 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">like a camera lens.\u201d<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW95531895 BCX4\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240,&quot;335572079&quot;:12,&quot;335572080&quot;:1,&quot;335572081&quot;:4278190080,&quot;469789806&quot;:&quot;single&quot;}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_687292\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"2000\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-687292\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/inline-HOW-VISION-WORKS.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration of how vision works showing a colored pencil drawing of an eyeball with a nearby brain and the parts of the eye and environment labeled, including the light, cornea, iris, lens, light-sensitive retinal neurons, optic nerve, electrical impulses, and the brain. \" width=\"2000\" height=\"1429\" \/> (Illustration by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/people\/112361811-jennifer-l-krech\">Jennifer Krech<\/a>, OD FAAO)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOf course, vision, the eye and its relationship to the brain are more complicated than a camera. Yet this physical object shares some similarities with this intricate sensory system. Like the camera, light passes through the focusing elements of the eye and falls onto a light sensor: <span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW62556698 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun TrackChangeDeleteHighlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW62556698 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun TrackChangeDeleteHighlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW62556698 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun TrackChangeDeleteHighlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">retina.<\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW62556698 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun TrackChangeDeleteHighlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\"> The iris controls the amount let in. <\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW62556698 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">The <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">retina<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">l<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">neurons<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">do<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\"> some <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">initial<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\"> processing and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">send signals <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">encoding<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">this visual <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">information <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">up <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">to the brain<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW62556698 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">.<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\nModern smartphone cameras take multiple frames and can use the motion of the image to compute a higher quality output. Eye movements are also crucial in human vision. Researchers in the <a href=\"https:\/\/aplab.bcs.rochester.edu\/\">Active Perception Lab<\/a> at URochester have found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/fixational-eye-movements-role-in-vision-550952\/\">small involuntary eye movements<\/a> are key to how we see. \u201cEye movements contribute to vision by transforming spatial information into temporal changes on the retina.\u202fThese input signals strongly drive neuronal responses,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sas.rochester.edu\/bcs\/people\/faculty\/rucci_michele\/index.html\">Michele Rucci<\/a>, a professor with the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sas.rochester.edu\/bcs\/index.html\">Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences<\/a>\u202fand the University\u2019s\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cvs.rochester.edu\/\">Center for Visual Science<\/a> (CVS).","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-15","title":"<h3>What is blindness?<\/h3>","content":"There are often misconceptions around the idea of blindness. According to McGregor, it\u2019s better to think of a spectrum of visual impairment, ranging from minor problems to no light perception. The type of vision loss a person has\u2014and the impact that loss has on their daily life\u2014depends on which structure of the eye or the brain is affected, the severity of the problem, and the patient\u2019s ability to adapt.\r\n\r\nIn many cases, there are treatments available to minimize vision loss. But for others, there is little that medicine can currently offer beyond assistive support. It is particularly challenging to treat disorders impacting the neurons in the eye and brain. Several labs at the University focus on understanding the causes of vision loss, including at the Flaum Eye Institute (FEI) and the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. However, the breakdown of retinal neurons is still mysterious in many ways.\r\n\r\nAdvanced genetic and cell biological tools allow fellow URochester researchers with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/eye-institute\/research\/labs\/libby\">Libby Lab<\/a> to <span class=\"TextRun SCXW123931976 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW123931976 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">i<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW123931976 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW123931976 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">nvestigate the multiple factors that drive neuronal dysfunction and death in <\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackChangeTextInsertion TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW123931976 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW123931976 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackChangeTextInsertion TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW123931976 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW123931976 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">common <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW123931976 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW123931976 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">age-related disease<\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackChangeTextInsertion TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW123931976 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW123931976 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\"> glaucoma<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TrackChangeTextDeletionMarker TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TrackedChange SCXW123931976 BCX4\"><span class=\"TextRun Highlight SCXW123931976 BCX4\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun TrackChangeTextDeletion SCXW123931976 BCX4\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"No Spacing\">s<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. Meanwhile, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/eye-institute\/research\/labs\/singh\">Singh Lab<\/a> uses human stem cells to model age-related macular degeneration (AMD). By examining genes associated with both AMD and rarer inherited forms of blindness called macular dystrophies, URochester researchers have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/news\/story\/new-research-offers-hope-for-preventing-age-related-blindness\">identified a key protein<\/a> involved in the early stages of the disease. \"Current treatments for AMD have limited efficacy and often come with significant side effects,\" says\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/people\/112360837-ruchira-singh\">Ruchira Singh<\/a>, with the FEI and CVS. \"Our research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets that could potentially halt the progression of this disease.\"","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-15","title":"<h3><strong>What basic research can tell us about vision restoration<\/strong><\/h3>","content":"What goes awry and causes vision to break down can happen at any stage of life and for a variety of reasons\u2014genetics, environmental exposures, injury, or progressive disease\u2014and in any part of the visual system.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_687192\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"2000\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-687192\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fea-eyesight-vision-loss-restoration-can-blindness-be-cured-2023-09-19_Susana_Marcos_0061.jpg\" alt=\"Susana Marcos smiles at the camera in her lab with the Center for Visual Science. In front of her is an optical array used for research.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1200\" \/> <strong>THE LONG VIEW:<\/strong> Susana Marcos, director of the Center for Visual Science. URochester has long been at the forefront of adaptive optics, with faculty from across the Flaum Eye Institute, CVS, and the Institute of Optics working together to advance the field. (糖心传媒 photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAn issue in the front of the eye, with the lens and cornea, is potentially treatable with glasses or surgery. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/people\/112358817-david-r-williams\">David Williams<\/a>, the William G. Allyn Professor of Medical Optics at URochester, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/rochester-researcher-recognized-with-national-award-for-outstanding-vision-research-448602\/\">developed a method<\/a> to accurately measure and correct the optical imperfections in the eye, allowing for the development of better corrective lenses\u2014both in glasses and contacts. This research also helps improve laser refractive correction surgeries, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/conditions-and-treatments\/laser-vision-correction\">LASIK<\/a>.\r\n\r\nCVS director <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hajim.rochester.edu\/optics\/people\/faculty\/marcos-susana\/index.html\">Susana Marcos<\/a>\u00a0is using advanced imaging to create personalized eye models to guide the selection of ocular corrections. Her lab has also created technologies to allow patients to experience the visual outcomes of cataract surgery prior to the procedure, so they can choose the intraocular lens that best meets their needs.\r\n<div class=\"pullquote\"><span style=\"font-size: 400%;\">\u201c<\/span>Research progress builds step by step. Everything builds on what has gone before.\u201d<\/div>\r\nThis same technology\u2014first developed by Williams\u2019 team at URochester\u2014also allows scientists to image single cells inside the living eye. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/people\/112360875-jesse-b-schallek\">Jesse Schallek<\/a>, an associate professor of ophthalmology and of neuroscience, adapted this tool, known as <a href=\"https:\/\/aria.cvs.rochester.edu\">adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy<\/a>, to reveal the dynamics of previously invisible immune cells infiltrating retinal tissue and responding to threats that may jeopardize vision.\r\n\r\nAmazingly, it is also possible to record the activity of individual neurons in the living eye with adaptive optics, which presents new opportunities for evaluating the performance of next-generation therapeutics. McGregor\u2019s lab specializes in using these advanced retinal imaging approaches to test and optimize new vision restoration therapies for retinal degenerations. Their aim? Ensuring that the treatments entering clinical trials have the best chance of success.","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"pt-15","title":"<h3>Seeing again: A vision of the future<\/h3>","content":"Developing new therapies requires a team approach with contributions from a range of scientific disciplines.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_687182\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"2000\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-687182\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fea-eyesight-vision-loss-restoration-can-blindness-be-cured-2019-03-26_Krystel_Huxlin_1940.jpg\" alt=\"A woman in the foreground hooked up to eye-tracking equipment while vision loss researcher Krystel Huxlin looks on.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1200\" \/> <strong>BRAIN TRAINING:<\/strong> Professor of Ophthalmology Krystel Huxlin (right) in her lab at the Flaum Eye Institute where she studies ways to retrain the brain to regain vision. (糖心传媒 photo \/ J. Adam Fenster)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nMcGregor leads an NIH, National Eye Institute Audacious Goals Initiative Project to restore vision by replacing the light sensitive cells in the retina that are lost due to disease, with new cells grown in a lab. This work includes pioneering new surgical approaches to deliver these replacement cells to the eye in collaboration with FEI vitreo-retinal surgeons.\r\n\r\nThe team has previously delivered cells into the eye on biodegradable tissue scaffolds; this year, they have developed a new minimally invasive surgical approach using a biocompatible viscous delivery vehicle. McGregor and neuroscientist <a href=\"https:\/\/optometry.berkeley.edu\/people\/teresa-puthussery-od-phd\/\">collaborators at the University of California, Berkeley<\/a>, have also recently showed that these lab-grown replacement cells appear able to connect up with the types of cells in the eye that mediate our ability to discriminate fine detail, like when reading text or seeing facial expressions.\r\n\r\nOnce light sensitivity has been restored to the retina, the signals need to be interpreted by the brain\u2014and the usability of restored vision may depend on the brain\u2019s ability to adapt to these new signals. Damage to the visual cortex, such as after a stroke, can also cause vision loss. URochester researchers like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.urmc.rochester.edu\/eye-institute\/research\/labs\/huxlin\">Krystel Huxlin<\/a>, associate director and co-director of training for CVS and the James V. Aquavella Professor of Ophthalmology, have shown that it is possible to \u201cretrain\u201d the brain to regain vision and reduce the region of vision loss.\r\n\r\n\u201cThis is an exciting time. Current therapies aiming to restore vision to patients with retinal degenerations are already showing some promising results in clinical trials\u2014including the ability to read a sign or locate an object. But it\u2019s not yet the kind of vision that you and I experience day to day,\u201d says McGregor. \u201cDown the road, we\u2019d like to restore high-quality vision so that patients are able to see a friend\u2019s smile or appreciate a sunset again and we are hopeful that the regenerative technologies we are investigating will bring that goal within reach.\u201d","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"card_grid_new","anchor":"","css_class":"","title":"","description":"","card_grid_cta":"","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"content-width","cards":[{"acf_fc_layout":"card","_acfe_flexible_layout_title":null,"card_width":"full","card_overline":"research impact","card_title":"<h3>Healthy communities<\/h3>","card_text":"We\u2019re leading or advancing studies focused on understanding, preventing, and treating a broad spectrum of conditions and illnesses.","card_image_icon":"image","card_image":656502,"card_icon":"","card_icon_color":"#252525","card_image_size":"large","card_image_placement_full":"image-left","card_image_placement":"","card_background_color":"#00205b","card_hover_color":"#00205b","card_link":{"title":"Discover more research that heals","url":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/research-impact\/healthy-communities\/","target":""},"card_hover_arrow":"button"}]}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Can lost vision be restored?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"URochester researchers are at the forefront of addressing vision loss while discovering how our visual system works.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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