Beyond the brain: Optogenetic control in the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system

Kate L Montgomery; Shrivats M Iyer; Amelia J Christensen; Karl Deisseroth; Scott L Delp

doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aad7577

Beyond the brain: Optogenetic control in the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system

Sci Transl Med. 2016 May 4;8(337):337rv5. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aad7577.

Authors

Kate L Montgomery¹, Shrivats M Iyer¹, Amelia J Christensen², Karl Deisseroth³, Scott L Delp⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
² Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
³ Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
⁴ Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. delp@stanford.edu.

PMID: 27147590
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aad7577

Abstract

Optogenetics offers promise for dissecting the complex neural circuits of the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system and has therapeutic potential for addressing unmet clinical needs. Much progress has been made to enable optogenetic control in normal and disease states, both in proof-of-concept and mechanistic studies in rodent models. In this Review, we discuss challenges in using optogenetics to study the mammalian spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, synthesize common features that unite the work done thus far, and describe a route forward for the successful application of optogenetics to translational research beyond the brain.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain / metabolism*
Humans
Optogenetics / methods*
Peripheral Nervous System / metabolism*
Spinal Cord / metabolism*