Our eyes could potentially be coaxed into a special repair mode above and beyond our natural self-healing abilities, according to a new study, thanks to the delivery of antibodies that trigger nerve cell regeneration in the retina.

The South Korean research team says the treatment offers hope for restoring lost vision that otherwise can’t be brought back. For now though, it’s only been tested in mice.

Here’s how it works: a compound antibody drug is used to block the prospero homeobox protein 1 (Prox1). This protein isn’t inherently bad, playing an important role in cell regulation, but it appears to stop retinal nerves from regenerating.