Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize for Advancements in Brain Cell Control

<p dir="ltr">A trio of scientists whose discoveries allowed researchers to control the activity of brain cells with light won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">The research began with green algae.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stanford's Karl Deisseroth, 54, along with German researchers Peter Hegemann, 71, of Humboldt University of Berlin, and Georg Nagel, 73, of the University of Würzburg, will share approximately $1.2 million for their contributions to optogenetics, a technique that enables scientists to activate or silence specific nerve cells using light.</p> <p dir="ltr">This technique has assisted researchers in identifying how particular brain circuits influence behavior and disease, potentially leading to new treatment avenues.</p> <p dir="ltr">Deisseroth expressed surprise at receiving the award, stating he was working late on papers and communicating with students when he received the call.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I lost the ability to form words for about 30 seconds or so,” he stated, according to Stanford.</p> <p dir="ltr">The discovery originated from Hegemann's research on how a single-celled green alga responds to light. Collaborating with Nagel, he identified a protein that functions as a light-activated gate, permitting electrically charged particles to pass through a cell's membrane.</p> <p dir="ltr">Typically, brain cells do not respond to light. Deisseroth adapted this natural mechanism, using the algae protein in 2005 to enable rat brain cells to respond to blue light, allowing neurons to fire on command.</p> <p dir="ltr">This technique has enabled scientists to control specific brain circuits in living animals and observe the outcomes. Laboratories worldwide have utilized it to investigate fear, memory, hunger, addiction, sleep, and depression.</p> <p dir="ltr">Researchers are also examining medical applications. In an early clinical trial, a man who was blinded by an inherited eye disease regained some vision following optogenetic treatment. Deisseroth noted that other researchers are exploring potential treatments for autism and schizophrenia based on insights gained from optogenetics.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Optogenetics is an engine for discovery,” Deisseroth remarked.</p> <p dir="ltr">He emphasized that identifying the cells associated with a symptom could aid researchers in developing targeted treatments.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Once you know the cells that are causal, that actually matter for a symptom or for correcting a symptom, you can devise medications or other methods that target those cells,” he explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">When asked about his plans to celebrate, Deisseroth stated he intended to “get back to work.”</p>