Turning brain neurons on and off with light: A reversible synaptic switch
A research team led by Professor Ji Won Um of the Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, Department of Brain Sciences, DGIST, in collaboration with a team led by Professor Alice Ting at Stanford University, has developed LATeNT, a novel optical control platform that uses light to block signal transmission between neurons and subsequently restore normal signaling. The work is published in…
Researchers at the Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity at DGIST and Stanford University have created LATeNT, a cutting-edge technology that controls brain neurons with light. This platform can both block and restore signal transmission between neurons, offering a powerful tool for understanding brain disorders and regulating insulin secretion.
By combining a light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) protein with tetanus neurotoxin, LATeNT specifically targets and cleaves VAMP2, a protein crucial for neurotransmitter release. When blue light is shone on LATeNT, it triggers the cleavage of VAMP2, effectively silencing synaptic signaling. Once the light is turned off, normal signaling resumes within about 24 hours.
This reversible mechanism allows for precise, controlled manipulation of brain circuits. In mouse experiments, LATeNT successfully inhibited specific inhibitory neurons in the hippocampus, a region involved in memory and emotion, and demonstrated its potential in treating anxiety-related behaviors. The researchers also showed that LATeNT can regulate insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells.
These findings suggest that LATeNT could revolutionize brain research and have applications in treating metabolic, immune, and neurological disorders.
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