上转换纳米颗粒介导的无线光遗传学技术的研究进展

光遗传学技术是结合基因工程和光学技术对生物体特定细胞进行精确调控的新兴生物技术,该技术可以特异性地兴奋或抑制靶神经元,成为解析介导特定行为神经环路的强有力的工具.传统技术依赖光纤,对脑组织有损伤且限制了动物的自由活动.新一代上转换纳米颗粒介导的无线光遗传学技术,借助近红外光组织穿透相对深的特性,能够对啮齿类动物脑组织深层核团进行无线调控,克服了传统技术中埋置光纤存在的缺陷.本文总结了上转换纳米颗粒介导的无线光遗传学技术的发展历程及现状,比较分析了这类无线光遗传学技术的优缺点,最后对该技术面临的挑战及未来前景进行了分析和展望.

Research Progress of Upconversion Nanoparticles-mediated Wireless Optogenetics

Optogenetics has been developed to control the activities and functions of neural circuits with high cell-type specificity and spatiotemporal resolution. However, current optogenetic tools generally rely on visible light with poor tissue penetration ability that does require invasive optical fiber devices to deliver visible light into deep inside brain tissue. These often result in a series of side effects, such as tissue damage and restrict free movement of animals. Fortunately, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)-mediated optogenetic systems facilitate the optogenetic regulation in complex living systems. In this review, the recent advances on design strategies of UCNP-mediated wireless optogenetics in biomedical research are summarized and the future perspectives for refining and advancing UCNP-mediated wireless optogenetics into in vivo for remote therapy are proposed.