In a significant breakthrough, researchers from UC San Francisco (UCSF), UC Santa Cruz (UCSC), and UC Berkeley have developed a technique using pulses of light to prevent seizure-like activity in neurons, offering hope for a less invasive treatment for epilepsy.
The team utilized brain tissue removed from epilepsy patients during surgery, aiming to eventually replace such invasive procedures with optogenetics—a method that employs a harmless virus to deliver light-sensitive genes to specific neurons. These genes enable researchers to control neuronal activity using light.
Published in Nature Neuroscience, the study is the first to demonstrate optogenetics’ potential to control seizure activity in living human brain tissue. This advancement could pave the way for new treatments for epilepsy and other neurological conditions.
The research team focused on subduing the synchronized bursts of electrical activity that characterize seizures. Using electrodes smaller than a human hair to detect neuronal signals, they delivered precise light pulses to deactivate neurons containing light-sensitive proteins, preventing seizure activity.
To sustain the brain tissue for the weeks-long study, the researchers recreated conditions inside the human skull. The tissue was placed in a nutrient medium resembling cerebrospinal fluid, enabling prolonged experimentation.
Dr. Tomasz Nowakowski, assistant professor of neurological surgery at UCSF and co-senior author of the study, hailed the findings as a “giant step” toward innovative epilepsy treatments.
A major hurdle was maintaining the delicate tissue’s stability during experiments. To address this, UCSC’s Mircea Teodorescu, PhD, designed a remote-control system to record electrical activity and deliver light pulses without disturbing the setup. The system allowed researchers in Santa Cruz to run experiments on tissue in Nowakowski’s San Francisco lab.
“This collaboration demonstrates how much we can achieve by combining institutional strengths,” said Teodorescu, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCSC.
Optogenetics provided detailed insights into seizure mechanisms, revealing the types and quantities of neurons needed to initiate seizures and the minimum light intensity required to alter neuronal activity. The researchers also observed how neuronal interactions could inhibit seizure progression.
Dr. Edward Chang, chair of neurological surgery at UCSF and co-author of the study, expressed optimism about the future of epilepsy treatment: “This approach could save patients from invasive surgery, offering a more precise and effective way to control seizures.”
As reported by news-medical.net, this groundbreaking research not only opens new doors for epilepsy care but also holds promise for treating other neurological disorders.