researchers at the School of Medicine have developed a prototype for an implantable neurotransmitter chip that someday could serve as an artificial retina for people with age-related macular degeneration, the most common form of blindness. The chip, which stimulates nerve cells with minute chemical doses, also might be used to deliver dopamine directly to the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease.

“It’s a very new way to interface with the brain,” said Harvey A. Fishman, director of Stanford’s ophthalmic tissue engineering laboratory, in the July 7 Medical Center Report. “We still have to look at how these chips interact with the body and ensure there’s no toxicity,” he added. “There are a lot of potential pitfalls, as with any new technology, but the advantages are well worth the potential challenges.”