Paper on Optogenerapy published at Journal of Molecular Genetics and Medicine
Optogenerapy partners published the paper “From Photobiolumination to Optogenerapy, Recent Advances in NIR Light Photomedicine Applications” at the Journal of Molecular and Medicine. The paper, signed by Vanessa Pierroz and Marc Folcher, scientists and lectures from the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich, reviews the use of near-infrared (NIR) light in medical applications and explain how Optogenerapy profits from this kind of photonic energy for the delivery of therapeutic proteins to patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.
The near-infrared (NIR) light is a low energy electromagnetic non-hazardous radiation used in many therapeutic applications to heal or kill cells. However, thanks to the recent advances in optogenetics engineering, the NIR light can also trigger a certain action to tissues, a key property to create a new system for the delivery of drugs that overcome adverse immune reactions, pain or irritations associated with continuous medication or injections.
In Optogenerapy project, NIR light is used particularly to activate the genetically modified cells encapsulated in the bio-electronics implant. NIR light, exposed to the patient’s skin, penetrates to the implant, triggering the implanted cells to release IFN-ß therapeutic protein, a drug beneficial for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.
The development of a NIR light bioelectronics cell-based implant, such as Optogenerapy, potentially represents a disruptive innovation to support light controlled drug delivery, as well as offers new options for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease with more than 2.3 million people affected worldwide affecting the central nervous system. The disease attacks myelin, the substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers of the central nervous system, forming scar tissue and distorting or interrupting the nerve impulse traveling to and from the spinal cord.