Current Topics of Optogenetics for Medical Applications Toward Therapy

The optogenetics approach uses a combination of genetic and optical methods to initiate and control functions in specific cells of biological tissues. Since the high-speed control of neuronal activity by irradiating channelrhodopsin-2 with blue light was reported in 2005, tremendous advancement and application of optogenetics in the field of neuroscience, such as in studies that associate neuronal activity with behaviors, have been initiated. Optogenetics is not only used as a research tool, but is also started to apply in the diagnosis of a disease or as therapy in various studies. Here, I summarize current reports on therapy using a typical photopigment used in optogenetics, channelrhodopsin-2.