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Hydrogel fibers that enable optogenetic pain inhibition during locomotion

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We developed fatigue-resistant hydrogel optical fibers through the controlled growth of polymeric nanocrystalline domains to enable light delivery to peripheral nerves during locomotion. The hydrogel fibers withstand locomotion strain across more than 30,000 fiber stretch cycles and enable the optogenetic inhibition of pain hypersensitivity in naturally behaving mice.

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Fig. 1: Design and application of a fatigue-resistant hydrogel optical fiber.

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This is a summary of: Liu, X. et al. Fatigue-resistant hydrogel optical fibers enable peripheral nerve optogenetics during locomotion. Nat. Methods https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-023-02020-9 (2023).

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Hydrogel fibers that enable optogenetic pain inhibition during locomotion. Nat Methods 20, 1641–1642 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-023-02022-7

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