{"title":"Optogenetics in medicine: innovations and therapeutic applications.","authors":"Yang Zhou, Yu Wei, Lei Li, Tao Yan, Haifeng Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.copbio.2025.103262","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Optogenetics, an innovative approach integrating photonics and genetic engineering, enables precise control over molecular and cellular processes, opening up exciting new opportunities for precision-guided medicine. In this review, we highlight recent advances in optogenetic tools and their applications across a range of medical conditions, including vision restoration in retinitis pigmentosa via light-activated ion channels, precise immune response modulation in cancer immunotherapy, and blood glucose management in diabetes through controllable drug release. Optogenetics also plays a critical role in bioelectronic medicine, enabling seamless communication between electronic systems and biological tissues to enhance therapeutic precision. Finally, we discuss the challenges and potential transition of optogenetics from experimental models to clinical therapies, emphasizing its immense potential to transform future medical treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":10833,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in biotechnology","volume":"92 ","pages":"103262"},"PeriodicalIF":7.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Current opinion in biotechnology","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2025.103262","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOCHEMICAL RESEARCH METHODS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Optogenetics, an innovative approach integrating photonics and genetic engineering, enables precise control over molecular and cellular processes, opening up exciting new opportunities for precision-guided medicine. In this review, we highlight recent advances in optogenetic tools and their applications across a range of medical conditions, including vision restoration in retinitis pigmentosa via light-activated ion channels, precise immune response modulation in cancer immunotherapy, and blood glucose management in diabetes through controllable drug release. Optogenetics also plays a critical role in bioelectronic medicine, enabling seamless communication between electronic systems and biological tissues to enhance therapeutic precision. Finally, we discuss the challenges and potential transition of optogenetics from experimental models to clinical therapies, emphasizing its immense potential to transform future medical treatments.
期刊介绍:
Current Opinion in Biotechnology (COBIOT) is renowned for publishing authoritative, comprehensive, and systematic reviews. By offering clear and readable syntheses of current advances in biotechnology, COBIOT assists specialists in staying updated on the latest developments in the field. Expert authors annotate the most noteworthy papers from the vast array of information available today, providing readers with valuable insights and saving them time.
As part of the Current Opinion and Research (CO+RE) suite of journals, COBIOT is accompanied by the open-access primary research journal, Current Research in Biotechnology (CRBIOT). Leveraging the editorial excellence, high impact, and global reach of the Current Opinion legacy, CO+RE journals ensure they are widely read resources integral to scientists' workflows.
COBIOT is organized into themed sections, each reviewed once a year. These themes cover various areas of biotechnology, including analytical biotechnology, plant biotechnology, food biotechnology, energy biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, systems biology, nanobiotechnology, tissue, cell, and pathway engineering, chemical biotechnology, and pharmaceutical biotechnology.