"New Imaging Tools Drive Chronic Pain Research And Understanding" - Kerri Wachter
Innovative technologies, developed as part of the public-private Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, or BRAIN Initiative, are allowing researchers to see the brain in ways never before possible and helping to reveal the structure and function of the circuitry involved in pain. Sarah Stanley, MBBCh, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease, and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, illustrated some of this work with a brief talk on radiomagnetogenetics. Radiomagnetogenetics combine the revolutionary tools known as optogenetics and magnetogenetics to visualize causal relationships between neuronal activity and behavioral outcomes. While optogenetics allow this visualization, it can be limited by the need to “shine” light on specific cells. Magnetogenetics overcame this problem by manipulating neurons that are tagged with special proteins using magnetic stimuli. While still in animal testing, the radiomagnetogenetics’ researchers have shown that electrical or genetic modulation of neural pathways does alter pain sensation. It remains to be seen whether specific promotors can lead to cell type-specific targeting, said Dr. Stanley.
- Sarah A. Stanley, MBBCh, PhD, Assistant Professor, Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai