14 DAY TRIAL // A collaboration of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (SFIT) managed to develop a new method for controlling the expression of genes using light. The achievement was only made possible by using proteins extracted from the human retina.
By using these molecules, the experts were able to make the genes sensible to blue light. The study, which was carried out on unsuspecting mice, demonstrated that it's possible to turn specific genes on or off by simply exposing the animals to blue light sources.
Immediate applications for the technology include the improvement of biological drug production efficiency. These medication are used to treat cancer and other devastating diseases. By exercising complete control over protein production, experts say that better drugs could be created.
In the long-run, the approach could be tailored in such a way that it could help patients produce missing hormones or proteins. It is conceivable that diabetics patients of the future will only use blue light as part of their treatment, as this could trigger insulin production directly inside the body.
The research team was able to engineer sensible cells by implanting them with genes that code for the light-sensitive protein melanopsin. The molecule can usually be found inside the human retina.
What this protein does is it triggers a surge of calcium inside the cells whenever it is exposed to light, Technology Review reports. When the surge occurs, a second protein is triggered. This molecule can be bound to any gene experts are interested in.
Therefore, whenever light is shone on the cell, the second protein turns any desired gene on. When the light flow is discontinued, the gene switches back off. The SFIT team says that the timing and intensity of the light flow can also be used to tailor the activity of the gene more precisely.
“There's a growing interest in using light as a trigger for different biological pathways,” comments Boston University biological engineer James Collins. He says that the main advantage light has in this regard is that it can be focused with extreme precision.
Details of the new research were published in the June 23 issue of the top journal Science. The study team says that, in addition to insulin, molecules such as human growth hormones could also be produced in larger or smaller quantities, depending on needs.
This technology could also be useful for experts working with bioreactors. As cells are grown inside, some of the proteins they produce can be extremely harmful. By controlling gene expression with light, experts could control the creation of these proteins, allowing them to be produced in quantities that do not destroy the cells.