Podcast: Future Vision—Fighting Blindness with Retinal Implants

By Cameron English and ChuckDinerstein — Nov 06, 2025

A groundbreaking retinal implant, PRIMA, is restoring central vision in patients with geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of macular degeneration that blinds roughly 1 million Americans. Unlike drugs that slow progression, this wireless neurostimulation system captures real-world images, projects them onto a subretinal chip, and electrically stimulates surviving retinal cells to mimic natural sight. Are we nearing a paradigm shift in how we treat vision loss?

Image: Generated by Grok

Join Cameron English and Dr. Chuck Dinerstein on Episode 144 of the Science Dispatch podcast as they discuss a groundbreaking treatment for macular degeneration:

Lying Eyes Go Bionic: How Technology Is Rewriting Human Vision

For decades, treatments for macular degeneration have focused on slowing, not restoring vision loss. A new retinal implant is flipping that script, turning patients with geographic atrophy into human–machine hybrids who can see again. It’s not sci-fi; it’s a glimpse at how neuro-engineering might redefine what it means to be blind — and human.

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Cameron English

Director of Bioscience

Cameron English is a writer, editor and co-host of the Science Facts and Fallacies Podcast. Before joining ACSH, he was managing editor at the Genetic Literacy Project.