Unleashing the secret ‘’Zoom-in tool’’ of the brain?! 🔍
(Just kidding- It’s actually not-so-secret!)
Many people are familiar with zoom-in tools but for those who aren’t, here’s a quick run-through 🏃♂️!
These tools are present on phones📱, computers 💻, built-into websites and come in countless forms such as magnifiers 🔍, telescopes 🔭 and more but what they all have in common is the fact that they can zoom in (I know right? Who would’ve guessed?).
As scientists remain fascinated by the brain 🧠 , it is regularly thought of as impossible to 100% uncover as it’s so incredibly vast. This is mainly because many things in the brain aren’t measurable/observable with the technology 🔧 that we have access to but…what if there was a zoom-in tool for… the brain 😱?!
Around the years 2004–2009, a technique called optogenetics was uncovered and it’s a definite game-changer in terms of neuroscience and brain discovery! This biological 🧪 discovery works by administering light 🔦 to neurons, thus, letting them be manually manipulated. By doing so, scientists were able to ‘’zoom’’ into the brain and take a closer look at how specific cells functioned.
At first, that might not make much sense so let’s take a deeper look into the anatomy 👀 →
Here are the must-knows before we get started!
- Neurons, AKA nerve cells, are fundamental for the proper function of the brain/nervous system. With billions of neurons existing in the brain, these cells interact 🤝 with each other through electrical and chemical neurotransmitters- kind of like a train system 🚂 , moving from station to station! Without them, different parts of the body wouldn’t be able to communicate with each other. The brain would also lose its ability to send signals and control the rest of the body.
- Many circuits are present in the brain, each having a different purpose. Even though there are many, 4 are the principal types of neural circuits that are responsible for a broad scope of neural functions and other means of communication 🗣.
- Brain chambers (ventricles) are essential in terms of protection and health 🍎. They contain cerebrospinal fluid which aside from protecting your brain and spine from trauma, also supplies it with the needed nutrients.
- Electrical Stimulation Studies (ESS) are a technique used to activate neurons or neural pathways. This is carried out by inserting a small electrode into tissue(s) 💉. When a current is evoked, the electric activity of the tissue can be altered.
The above picture shows a realistic demonstration of neurons in the brain.
Now back to optogenetics!
As previously mentioned, optogenetics is a method where neurons are controlled by the use of light. It was discovered officially in 2005 by a scientist named Zhou-Hua Pan 👨🔬. Since then, this technique has come a long way and now is even certified to be used on humans!
Since the 1930s, scientists have used light to exert electrical stimulation to try and map the brain. This wasn’t too successful as the electrodes were found to be damaging 🥊 to the brain. In 2005, optogenetics came into play giving scientists a precise way to administer brain stimulation.
This is made possible when a neuron’s activity is modified using light and genetic engineering ⚙️. By editing the genetic code (think of it like the blueprints of the cell) of neurons, scientists can change the information of a living thing by adding or deleting information to their liking. This process is used widely in many fields such as food science and is sometimes called genetic modification 🧬.
When studying 📚 these cells (optogenetic studies), scientists take the genetic code of the neurons they want to assess and modify it by administering a new piece of code. The new code allows these neurons to produce special proteins called opsins- the key 🔑 to optogenetics. These proteins respond to specific types of light and are used to control neuron activity.
Saying beams of light can be easily manipulated, scientists can efficiently choose exactly which neurons they want to study ✏️ as well as the precise locations of the brain. By using this method, the interactions, movements and functions of neurons can be observed with clarity and instead of being in a jumble, they can be separated like cars 🚗 moving in unison on a highway. By doing this, the brain as a whole can be better understood alongside the mental/physical illnesses and diseases that may affect it.
In the image above, blue light is being projected onto a neuron. This is done to acquire control over said neuron and the said control will only last as long as the light remains directed at it. The opsin being produced above, scientifically named ChR2 (short for Channelrhodopsin-2), is derived from algae and only responds to blue light.
Up until now, we’ve only discussed what optogenetics is, but trust me, there’s a lot more to it than shining light to make cells glimmer 💅!
Let’s go into how this technique is used nowadays and essentially why it was developed!
You might have guessed- as optogenetics deals with neurons, this method is primarily used in the medical field 🏥. With the ongoing advancement of this method, many questions that were thought of as unresolvable are now being tackled. These questions come from the mental aspect such as; How and where does fear evolve from in the brain? How are memories stored/ the difference between good and bad ones? How is risk vs reward situations calculated? and some come from a more physical aspect such as; How do environmental factors play a part in epilepsy development? How does the brain change after a stroke?
An image featuring an MRI scan of ruptured neurons (aftermath of a stroke).
Because of the fact that optogenetics isn’t very old, the greater part of experiments have been conducted on mice 🐁 but that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been breakthroughs! So far, mice have been cured after showing signs of depression, their movements have been altered with the addition/absence of light, blind mices’ vision has been restored, behaviours have been enabled so that they can solve complex scenarios and more!
The mouse in the picture above, after demonstrating symptoms of autism, was given an optogenetic evaluation in hopes to cure it. This experiment was unsuccessful but scientists were able to gain various insights.
A couple of years after initial trials, optogenetics was authorized to be used in clinical trials (on humans) 💁♂️💁♀️💁 . A scientist👨🔬, Karl Deisseroth, known as revolutionary in the field of neuroscience (as a result of his work in optogenetics), is the one responsible for the biggest breakthroughs in humans.
Mainly focusing on physical 💪 rather than mental 🧠 conditions, Deisseroth found a method to powerfully reduce symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This bioengineer found ways to probe symptoms of depression, stroke, autism, addiction, myriad and tons of other conditions. Humans now have a progressive idea on how to genetically modify their cellular infirmities.
At the moment, most scientists are working on furthering knowledge on the brain and some have made good progress 👍. Mental illnesses are being looked at under the scope 🔬 and the world of physical illnesses is looking hopeful. Countless labs around the world are now using optogenetics to understand and develop treatments for diseases and to better understand the complex wiring of our brains!
‘’What’s the future of optogenetics?’’
Don’t worry, I was wondering the same thing- Here are my predictions as well as what is being currently worked on (predictions of professionals)!
With the progression of time, optogenetics gives more and more hope of a future where illnesses/diseases and be altered and cured. I predict that soon enough, we’ll have enough technical advancements to properly understand illnesses that are taboo such as OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). I also think that rather than just neurons, optogenetics can be integrated into AI 🤖 (artificial intelligence). This would be amazing as it would make studying brain circuits and smaller fragments of the body possible!
On the other hand, scientists, doctors and other professionals that work with optogenetics have specific goals 🥅. Scientist Sheena A. Josselyn 👩🔬 wrote a journal about her future goals and stated that she is planning on using electrophysiology and calcium or voltage imaging to take a closer look at the brain. Doctors from the National Neuroscience Association (NNA) are striving toward making cures derived from optogenetics accessible to more people.
A big prediction for upcoming optogenetics are linking memories in hopes of managing Alzheimer’s. In the image above, nerve cells are pictured connecting with each other. They are sending out messages amongst each other through tendirls called axons.
As we’ve reached the end of this article, here’s a quick sum up! Optogenetics without a doubt is incredibly useful in the world of medicine 💊. They help immensely in better understanding the brain and can be linked to various parts of the body both physical as well as mental. In the wise words of Scientist 👩🔬 Kay M. Tye, ‘’ Psychology is the study of the mind whilst neurology is the study of the brain, both are and will always be relevant to future studies.’’ In the end, the more we know about the brain, the better we can treat/understand it!’’
Key takeaways/TL;DR!✌️
- Optogenetics was developed in 2004 and has advanced immensely ever since 💡
- Light is shone onto neurons to allow them to be controlled 💡
- Neurons produce opsins when they get into contact with (specific) light 💡
- Using this method, previously inaccessible areas of the brain can be studied 💡
- The first optogenetic experiments were conducted on mice but soon, authorization was obtained for human trials 💡
- Tons of mental as well as physical illnesses/diseases have been either cured or had substantial decreases in symptoms using optogenetic technologies💡
- The future looks truly bright for advanced optogenetic studies! 💡
If you enjoyed this article, consider liking it and feel free to leave a comment; I always love hearing what you guys thought! Suggestions and opinions are greatly valued and surely make for a better reading experience! Thank you, have an awesome day :) ♥️
