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Optogenetics will help restore memory
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
A new development of Japanese specialists can help all people suffering from memory loss, in particular Alzheimer's disease. The Japanese offer to return forgotten memories with the help of optogenetics, but, in spite of the fact that the tests of the method have been conducted only on experimental animals, experts are sure that the technology has great potential and will be available in the near future.
Optogenetics is a new branch of medicine aimed at studying neurons and their reaction to light in combination with opsins. Scientists have learned to work on nerve impulses, if necessary suppressing or stimulating them with the help of stimuli (in this case, light-laser or fiber).
New research was conducted at the Institute of Genetics neural connections, where the rodents with Alzheimer's disease experienced a new method of memory recovery. In the course of the experiment, it was found that with the help of a weak light stimulus it is possible to restore memory sites that were affected by the development of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, scientists have proved that the well-established work of neural connections helps to restore memory.
The new method is based on the introduction into the cells of the head of special photosensitive genes and the subsequent exposure to them by light. Various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, block access to memory, and stimulation with light allows us to restore connections between neurons and return memories.
Specialists stressed that even one intervention was enough to ensure that the brain of experimental animals began to function normally, including the memorization of new information.
Also, experiments were conducted with healthy rodents, whose memory impairments were triggered mechanically, and a new method of memory recovery proved effective, and in this case also helped to quickly return forgotten memories to rodents.
The research group plans to experiment with other species of animals, since before starting clinical trials involving people it is necessary to make sure of the safety and effectiveness of the method, and also the specialists intend to improve their technical skills in conducting operations.
Optogenetics is quite a young science, the study of which began just a little over 10 years ago, but scientists can already say with confidence that this technology is waiting for great opportunities, and medicine is waiting for a breakthrough in the treatment of a variety of diseases.
Optogenetics came to replace electrophysiological methods of studying neural connections and scientists note that optogenetic methods will allow a new look at the therapy of diseases such as Parkinson's, depressive disorders, epilepsy, anxiety.
Nowadays among neurosciences optogenetics occupies one of the main places and six years ago in one of the scientific journals such methods were recognized as achievements of the year, in another scientific publication optogenetics was called a real breakthrough of the decade. It is possible that in the near future optogenetic methods will find their application in industrial markets, and will also be used to treat incurable diseases today.
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