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Optogenetic cell control in experimental models of neurological disorders

Tönnesen, Jan LU (2013) In Behavioural Brain Research 255. p.35-43
Abstract
The complexity of the brain, in which different neuronal cell types are interspersed and complexly interconnected, has posed a major obstacle in identifying pathophysiological mechanisms underlying prevalent neurological disorders. This is largely based in the inability of classical experimental approaches to target defined neural populations at sufficient temporal and spatial resolution. As a consequence, effective clinical therapies for prevalent neurological disorders are largely lacking. Recently developed optogenetic probes are genetically expressed photosensitive ion channels and pumps that in principal overcome these limitations. Optogenetic probes allow millisecond resolution functional control over selected optogenetically... (More)
The complexity of the brain, in which different neuronal cell types are interspersed and complexly interconnected, has posed a major obstacle in identifying pathophysiological mechanisms underlying prevalent neurological disorders. This is largely based in the inability of classical experimental approaches to target defined neural populations at sufficient temporal and spatial resolution. As a consequence, effective clinical therapies for prevalent neurological disorders are largely lacking. Recently developed optogenetic probes are genetically expressed photosensitive ion channels and pumps that in principal overcome these limitations. Optogenetic probes allow millisecond resolution functional control over selected optogenetically transduced neuronal populations targeted based on promoter activity. This optical cell control scheme has already been applied to answer fundamental questions pertaining to neurological disorders by allowing researchers to experimentally intercept, or induce, pathophysiological neuronal signaling activity in a highly controlled manner. Offering high temporal resolution control over neural activity at high cellular specificity, optogenetic tools constitute a game changer in research aiming at understanding pathophysiological signaling mechanisms in neurological disorders and in developing therapeutic strategies to correct these. In this regard, recent experimental work has provided new insights in underlying mechanisms, as well as preliminary proof-of-principle for optogenetic therapies, of several neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and progressive blindness. This review synthesizes experimental work where optogenetic tools have been applied to explore pathologic neural network activity in models of neurological disorders. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Optogenetic, Neurological disorder, Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy, Retinal degeneration, Animal model
in
Behavioural Brain Research
volume
255
pages
35 - 43
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000326668200005
  • scopus:84884980024
  • pmid:23871610
ISSN
0166-4328
DOI
10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ec11658b-4516-452e-91ac-2833621c3ddd (old id 4203992)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:58:07
date last changed
2022-03-12 00:52:58
@article{ec11658b-4516-452e-91ac-2833621c3ddd,
  abstract     = {{The complexity of the brain, in which different neuronal cell types are interspersed and complexly interconnected, has posed a major obstacle in identifying pathophysiological mechanisms underlying prevalent neurological disorders. This is largely based in the inability of classical experimental approaches to target defined neural populations at sufficient temporal and spatial resolution. As a consequence, effective clinical therapies for prevalent neurological disorders are largely lacking. Recently developed optogenetic probes are genetically expressed photosensitive ion channels and pumps that in principal overcome these limitations. Optogenetic probes allow millisecond resolution functional control over selected optogenetically transduced neuronal populations targeted based on promoter activity. This optical cell control scheme has already been applied to answer fundamental questions pertaining to neurological disorders by allowing researchers to experimentally intercept, or induce, pathophysiological neuronal signaling activity in a highly controlled manner. Offering high temporal resolution control over neural activity at high cellular specificity, optogenetic tools constitute a game changer in research aiming at understanding pathophysiological signaling mechanisms in neurological disorders and in developing therapeutic strategies to correct these. In this regard, recent experimental work has provided new insights in underlying mechanisms, as well as preliminary proof-of-principle for optogenetic therapies, of several neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and progressive blindness. This review synthesizes experimental work where optogenetic tools have been applied to explore pathologic neural network activity in models of neurological disorders. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Tönnesen, Jan}},
  issn         = {{0166-4328}},
  keywords     = {{Optogenetic; Neurological disorder; Parkinson's disease; Epilepsy; Retinal degeneration; Animal model}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{35--43}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Behavioural Brain Research}},
  title        = {{Optogenetic cell control in experimental models of neurological disorders}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.007}},
  volume       = {{255}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}