Feyen Paul, Colombo Elisabetta, Endeman Duco, Nova Mattia, Laudato Lucia, Martino Nicola, Antognazza Maria Rosa, Lanzani Guglielmo, Benfenati Fabio, Ghezzi Diego
Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy.
Center for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2016 Mar 4;6:22718. doi: 10.1038/srep22718.
The ability to control and modulate the action potential firing in neurons represents a powerful tool for neuroscience research and clinical applications. While neuronal excitation has been achieved with many tools, including electrical and optical stimulation, hyperpolarization and neuronal inhibition are typically obtained through patch-clamp or optogenetic manipulations. Here we report the use of conjugated polymer films interfaced with neurons for inducing a light-mediated inhibition of their electrical activity. We show that prolonged illumination of the interface triggers a sustained hyperpolarization of the neuronal membrane that significantly reduces both spontaneous and evoked action potential firing. We demonstrate that the polymeric interface can be activated by either visible or infrared light and is capable of modulating neuronal activity in brain slices and explanted retinas. These findings prove the ability of conjugated polymers to tune neuronal firing and suggest their potential application for the in-vivo modulation of neuronal activity.
控制和调节神经元动作电位发放的能力是神经科学研究和临床应用的有力工具。虽然已经通过包括电刺激和光刺激在内的多种工具实现了神经元兴奋，但超极化和神经元抑制通常是通过膜片钳或光遗传学操作获得的。在此，我们报告了使用与神经元界面连接的共轭聚合物薄膜来诱导光介导的神经元电活动抑制。我们表明，对界面的长时间光照会引发神经元膜的持续超极化，显著降低自发和诱发动作电位的发放。我们证明，该聚合物界面可被可见光或红外光激活，并且能够调节脑片和离体视网膜中的神经元活动。这些发现证明了共轭聚合物调节神经元放电的能力，并暗示了它们在体内调节神经元活动的潜在应用。
