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Optogenetics pp 513–521Cite as

Current Topics of Optogenetics for Medical Applications Toward Therapy

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1293))

Abstract

The optogenetics approach uses a combination of genetic and optical methods to initiate and control functions in specific cells of biological tissues. Since the high-speed control of neuronal activity by irradiating channelrhodopsin-2 with blue light was reported in 2005, tremendous advancement and application of optogenetics in the field of neuroscience, such as in studies that associate neuronal activity with behaviors, have been initiated. Optogenetics is not only used as a research tool, but is also started to apply in the diagnosis of a disease or as therapy in various studies. Here, I summarize current reports on therapy using a typical photopigment used in optogenetics, channelrhodopsin-2.

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Abbreviations

ChR:

Channelrhodopsin

ChR2:

Channelrhodopsin-2

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Engineering, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

    Toshihiro Kushibiki

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  1. Toshihiro Kushibiki
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Correspondence to Toshihiro Kushibiki .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan

    Hiromu Yawo

  2. OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan

    Hideki Kandori

  3. National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo, Japan

    Amane Koizumi

  4. Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Ryoichiro Kageyama

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Kushibiki, T. (2021). Current Topics of Optogenetics for Medical Applications Toward Therapy. In: Yawo, H., Kandori, H., Koizumi, A., Kageyama, R. (eds) Optogenetics. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1293. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_35

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