|
 Lead author on the study Brook Chernet injected frog embryos with
two types of genes, an oncogene to predispose them to cancer and
another gene to produce light sensitive "ion channels" in tumor-type
cells.
Ion channels are passageways into and out of the cell that open in
response to certain signals. When the channels are open, the
movement of ions into or out of the cell creates an electrical
signal.
The researchers were able to activate the channels on tumor-type
cells by exposing the embryos to light. By activating the channels
and adjusting the electrical signals in the cells, the team was able
to both prevent and reverse tumor formation in 30 percent of cases,
according to the study.
"You can turn on the light, in this case it's blue light and you
blink this blue light at this tumor, I believe it's 24 hours, and
the tumor goes away," said researcher Dany Adams, a co-author on the
paper.
 This latest success builds on years of research from Michael Levin's
lab at Tufts University.
"We call this whole research program cracking the bioelectric code,"
said Levin, professor and chair of the Tufts Center for Regenerative
and Developmental Biology.
By targeting the electrical patterns in cells, it's possible to
control how fast they divide and what information they share with
their neighbors, says Levin.
"The idea is much like the brain when neuroscientists try to figure
out the semantics of electrical states in the brain, we try to
figure out how patterns are encoded in electrical states in the
body," he added.
[to top of second column] |
The use of optogenetics to control ion channels has been an
important research tool for neuroscientists studying the brain and
nervous system. This is the first time the technique has been
applied to cancer research.
"The electrical communication amongst cells is really important for
tumor suppression. The bigger picture is to understand how these
voltages are passed among cells and how they control the transfer of
chemical signals among cells," Levin said.
"We need to crack this bioelectrical code. We really need to figure
out how computations in tissues and decision making about pattern
and cell behavior and so on are encoded in electrical signaling.
That is sort of the next ten years," he added.
The role of optogenetics in cancer treatment for humans is still
unclear, but the underlying science of how electricity functions in
the body has the potential to unlock new ways of treating all types
of disease in years to come.
The study was published in the journal Oncotarget last month.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
