Optogenetic control of nerve growth.

1. Sci Rep. 2015 May 18;5:9669. doi: 10.1038/srep09669. Optogenetic control of nerve growth. Park S(1), Koppes RA(2), Froriep UP(3), Jia X(4), Achyuta AK(5), McLaughlin BL(5), Anikeeva P(4). Author information: (1)1] Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States [2] Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States. (2)Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States. (3)1] Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States [2] Simons Center for the Social Brain, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States. (4)1] Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States [2] Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States. (5)Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States. Due to the limited regenerative ability of neural tissue, a diverse set of biochemical and biophysical cues for increasing nerve growth has been investigated, including neurotrophic factors, topography, and electrical stimulation. In this report, we explore optogenetic control of neurite growth as a cell-specific alternative to electrical stimulation. By investigating a broad range of optical stimulation parameters on dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) expressing channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2), we identified conditions that enhance neurite outgrowth by three-fold as compared to unstimulated or wild-type (WT) controls. Furthermore, optogenetic stimulation of ChR2 expressing DRGs induces directional outgrowth in WT DRGs co-cultured within a 10 mm vicinity of the optically sensitive ganglia. This observed enhancement and polarization of neurite growth was accompanied by an increased expression of neural growth and brain derived neurotrophic factors (NGF, BDNF). This work highlights the potential for implementing optogenetics to drive nerve growth in specific cell populations. DOI: 10.1038/srep09669 PMCID: PMC4434892 PMID: 25982506 [Indexed for MEDLINE] Conflict of interest statement: Yes there is potential Competing Interest. P.A. and R.A.K. receive research funding from the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory through the collaborative University Research and Development grant. A.K.H.A. and B.L.M. are employees of the Draper Laboratory. Draper Laboratory is a non-profit research and development institution.