Optogenetics and your brain: Researchers study the therapeutic potential of light

[Natural News]: Can light restore vision to blind people and help treat paralysis in patients with Parkinson’s disease? German researchers have recently examined the possibility of stimulating light-sensitive proteins to achieve therapeutic effects on various health conditions.

Optogenetics is a technique that manages processes in the brain through light-based stimulation. It achieves its effects through light-controlled proteins like channelrhodopsin-2, which activate when they come into contact with photons.

Channelrhodopsin-2 serves as an ion channel for the cellular membrane of unicellular green algae. It and other similar proteins serve as a mix of gate and gatekeeper for the cell – they determine whether or not an ion may pass through the layer....<<<Read The Full Article Here>>>...