Biologist Irina Zakharova, from the National Research Nuclear University, reported that optogenetics allows the use of light to control cellular activity and may form the basis for treating blindness and other diseases.
According to her, to achieve this, a light-sensitive protein gene called opsin is inserted into the cells. When this protein is exposed to light, it opens ion channels in the cell membrane, allowing an electrical impulse to be generated.
She says: "Optical genetics technology allows for the selective activation of a specific cell type without affecting neighboring cells."
According to her, this method has already contributed to identifying neural circuits associated with memory, fear, hunger, thirst, and social bonds. This technique has the potential to be used in the medical field, in treating blindness and deafness, combating neurodegenerative diseases, and correcting heart rhythm disorders.
The scientist notes that “MCO-010 therapy” from “Nanoscope Therapeutics”, which is closest to completing clinical trials, proposes injecting an adenoviral-associated virus to deliver the multifunctional opsin gene to bipolar cells in the retina of patients with acute retinitis or Stargardt disease.
According to her, cells that were initially insensitive to light acquire the ability to respond to normal daylight. Patients who had been blind regained their sight, and patients who had experienced vision problems for three years saw their vision improve and maintain these positive results.
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