Optogenetics in preclinical neuroscience and psychiatry research: recent insights and potential applications

Abstract

There have been significant advances in the treatment of psychiatric disease in the last half century, but it is still unclear which neural circuits are ultimately responsible for specific disease states. Fortunately, technical limitations that have constrained this research have recently been mitigated by advances in research tools that facilitate circuit-based analyses. The most prominent of these tools is optogenetics, which refers to the use of genetically encoded, light-sensitive proteins that can be used to manipulate discrete neural circuits with temporal precision. Optogenetics has recently been used to examine the neural underpinnings of both psychiatric disease and symptom relief, and this research has rapidly identified novel therapeutic targets for what could be a new generation of rational drug development. As these and related methodologies for controlling neurons ultimately make their way into the clinic, circuit-based strategies for alleviating psychiatric symptoms could become a remarkably refined approach to disease treatment.

A novel behavioral paradigm to assess multisensory processing in mice

“…In addition to molecular genetic manipulations such as knock-ins or knock-outs of genes associated with human disease, the rodent offers additional practical advantages spurred by the development of optogenetic methods to study causal relations in brain circuits (Fenno et al, 2011 ; McDevitt et al, 2014 ). Application of such tools to multisensory questions could be of great utility in developing a better mechanistic understanding of how the integrative features of multisensory neurons and networks arise, and how neuronal and network properties relate to behavior.…”

Optogenetic behavioral studies in depression research: A systematic review

“… 98 Furthermore, the translational potential of optogenetics and specific strategies for further application of optogenetic-based tools as therapeutic methods are discussed. 96 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 The insights gained from pre-clinical optogenetic studies can serve as a guide for advancing clinical practice. Integrating advanced imaging methods such as functional MRI (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) allows clinicians to examine the neural activity patterns in patients, offering valuable insights into individual variations and disease-specific alterations.…”

Light Conversion Nanomaterials for Wireless Phototherapy

“…Transmembrane ChR can be activated by blue light and allows extracellular cations (e.g., Ca 2+ or Na + ) to flow into the cell, hence resulting in neuron firing or cation-mediated cell physiology, while HR can be activated by yellow light and allows extracellular anion (e.g., Cl – ) to flow into the neuron, resulting in neuron inhibition (Figure A). Optogenetics can potentially treat epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and even cardiovascular diseases. , …”