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Lengert L, Tomanek M, Ghoncheh M, Lohmann H, Prenzler N, Kalies S, Johannsmeier S, Ripken T, Heisterkamp A, Maier H. Acoustic stimulation of the human round window by laser-induced nonlinear optoacoustics. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8214. [PMID: 38589426 PMCID: PMC11001906 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58129-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The feasibility of low frequency pure tone generation in the inner ear by laser-induced nonlinear optoacoustic effect at the round window was demonstrated in three human cadaveric temporal bones (TB) using an integral pulse density modulation (IPDM). Nanosecond laser pulses with a wavelength in the near-infrared (NIR) region were delivered to the round window niche by an optical fiber with two spherical lenses glued to the end and a viscous gel at the site of the laser focus. Using IPDM, acoustic tones with frequencies between 20 Hz and 1 kHz were generated in the inner ear. The sound pressures in scala tympani and vestibuli were recorded and the intracochlear pressure difference (ICPD) was used to calculate the equivalent sound pressure level (eq. dB SPL) as an equivalent for perceived loudness. The results demonstrate that the optoacoustic effect produced sound pressure levels ranging from 140 eq. dB SPL at low frequencies ≤ 200 Hz to 90 eq. dB SPL at 1 kHz. Therefore, the produced sound pressure level is potentially sufficient for patients requiring acoustic low frequency stimulation. Hence, the presented method offers a potentially viable solution in the future to provide the acoustic stimulus component in combined electro-acoustic stimulation with a cochlear implant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza Lengert
- Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V., Hollerithallee 8, 30419, Hannover, Germany
- NIFE, Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Tomanek
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Hannover Medical School, VIANNA/NIFE, Stadtfelddamm 34, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mohammad Ghoncheh
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Hannover Medical School, VIANNA/NIFE, Stadtfelddamm 34, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hinnerk Lohmann
- Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V., Hollerithallee 8, 30419, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nils Prenzler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Hannover Medical School, VIANNA/NIFE, Stadtfelddamm 34, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Kalies
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sonja Johannsmeier
- Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V., Hollerithallee 8, 30419, Hannover, Germany
- NIFE, Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tammo Ripken
- Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V., Hollerithallee 8, 30419, Hannover, Germany
- NIFE, Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Hannes Maier
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Hannover Medical School, VIANNA/NIFE, Stadtfelddamm 34, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
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Junge S, Ricci Signorini ME, Al Masri M, Gülink J, Brüning H, Kasperek L, Szepes M, Bakar M, Gruh I, Heisterkamp A, Torres-Mapa ML. A micro-LED array based platform for spatio-temporal optogenetic control of various cardiac models. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19490. [PMID: 37945622 PMCID: PMC10636122 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46149-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics relies on dynamic spatial and temporal control of light to address emerging fundamental and therapeutic questions in cardiac research. In this work, a compact micro-LED array, consisting of 16 × 16 pixels, is incorporated in a widefield fluorescence microscope for controlled light stimulation. We describe the optical design of the system that allows the micro-LED array to fully cover the field of view regardless of the imaging objective used. Various multicellular cardiac models are used in the experiments such as channelrhodopsin-2 expressing aggregates of cardiomyocytes, termed cardiac bodies, and bioartificial cardiac tissues derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. The pacing efficiencies of the cardiac bodies and bioartificial cardiac tissues were characterized as a function of illumination time, number of switched-on pixels and frequency of stimulation. To demonstrate dynamic stimulation, steering of calcium waves in HL-1 cell monolayer expressing channelrhodopsin-2 was performed by applying different configurations of patterned light. This work shows that micro-LED arrays are powerful light sources for optogenetic control of contraction and calcium waves in cardiac monolayers, multicellular bodies as well as three-dimensional artificial cardiac tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Junge
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, 30167, Hannover, Germany
- Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Maria Elena Ricci Signorini
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Masa Al Masri
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, 30167, Hannover, Germany
- Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan Gülink
- QubeDot GmbH, Wilhelmsgarten 3, 38100, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Heiko Brüning
- QubeDot GmbH, Wilhelmsgarten 3, 38100, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Leon Kasperek
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, 30167, Hannover, Germany
- Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Monika Szepes
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mine Bakar
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ina Gruh
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexander Heisterkamp
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, 30167, Hannover, Germany
- Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Maria Leilani Torres-Mapa
- Institute of Quantum Optics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University, 30167, Hannover, Germany.
- Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE), 30625, Hannover, Germany.
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Khurana L, Harczos T, Moser T, Jablonski L. En route to sound coding strategies for optical cochlear implants. iScience 2023; 26:107725. [PMID: 37720089 PMCID: PMC10502376 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hearing loss is the most common human sensory deficit. Severe-to-complete sensorineural hearing loss is often treated by electrical cochlear implants (eCIs) bypassing dysfunctional or lost hair cells by direct stimulation of the auditory nerve. The wide current spread from each intracochlear electrode array contact activates large sets of tonotopically organized neurons limiting spectral selectivity of sound coding. Despite many efforts, an increase in the number of independent eCI stimulation channels seems impossible to achieve. Light, which can be better confined in space than electric current may help optical cochlear implants (oCIs) to overcome eCI shortcomings. In this review, we present the current state of the optogenetic sound encoding. We highlight optical sound coding strategy development capitalizing on the optical stimulation that requires fine-grained, fast, and power-efficient real-time sound processing controlling dozens of microscale optical emitters as an emerging research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshay Khurana
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- Junior Research Group “Computational Neuroscience and Neuroengineering”, Göttingen, Germany
- The Doctoral Program “Sensory and Motor Neuroscience”, Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB), Göttingen, Germany
- InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tamas Harczos
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
- InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lukasz Jablonski
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Junior Research Group “Computational Neuroscience and Neuroengineering”, Göttingen, Germany
- InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Khurana L, Keppeler D, Jablonski L, Moser T. Model-based prediction of optogenetic sound encoding in the human cochlea by future optical cochlear implants. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:3621-3629. [PMID: 35860414 PMCID: PMC9283772 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.06.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
When hearing fails, electrical cochlear implants (eCIs) partially restore hearing by direct stimulation of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). As light can be better confined in space than electrical current, optical CIs (oCIs) provide more spectral information promising a fundamental improvement of hearing restoration by cochlear implants. Here, we turned to computer modelling for predicting the outcome of optogenetic hearing restoration by future oCIs in humans. We combined three-dimensional reconstruction of the human cochlea with ray-tracing simulation of emission from LED or laser-coupled waveguide emitters of the oCI. Irradiance was read out at the somata of SGNs. The irradiance values reached with waveguides were about 14 times higher than with LEDs, at the same radiant flux of the emitter. Moreover, waveguides outperformed LEDs regarding spectral selectivity. oCIs with either emitter type showed greater spectral selectivity when compared to eCI. In addition, modeling the effects of the source-to-SGN distance, orientation of the sources and impact of scar tissue further informs the development of optogenetic hearing restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshay Khurana
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience & Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Keppeler
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience & Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lukasz Jablonski
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience & Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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5
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Bali B, Gruber-Dujardin E, Kusch K, Rankovic V, Moser T. Analyzing efficacy, stability, and safety of AAV-mediated optogenetic hearing restoration in mice. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/8/e202101338. [PMID: 35512833 PMCID: PMC9258265 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This longitudinal study revealed stable expression of the fast-gating channelrhodopsin f-Chrimson in cochlear neurons of mice over at least 2 yr upon a single postnatal AAV dosing of the cochlea. AAV-mediated optogenetic neural stimulation has become a clinical approach for restoring function in sensory disorders and feasibility for hearing restoration has been indicated in rodents. Nonetheless, long-term stability and safety of AAV-mediated channelrhodopsin (ChR) expression in spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) remained to be addressed. Here, we used longitudinal studies on mice subjected to early postnatal administration of AAV2/6 carrying fast gating ChR f-Chrimson under the control of the human synapsin promoter unilaterally to the cochlea. f-Chrimson expression in SGNs in both ears and the brain was probed in animals aged 1 mo to 2 yr. f-Chrimson was observed in SGNs at all ages indicating longevity of ChR-expression. SGN numbers in the AAV-injected cochleae declined with age faster than in controls. Investigations were extended to the brain in which viral transduction was observed across the organ at varying degrees irrespective of age without observing viral spread-related pathologies. No viral DNA or virus-related histopathological findings in visceral organs were encountered. In summary, our study demonstrates life-long (24 mo in mice) expression of f-Chrimson in SGNs upon single AAV-dosing of the cochlea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burak Bali
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Restorative Cochlear Genomics Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Kathrin Kusch
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Functional Auditory Genomics, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vladan Rankovic
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany .,Restorative Cochlear Genomics Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany .,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
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6
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Abstract
Optogenetics is widely used to interrogate the neural circuits underlying disease and has most recently been harnessed for therapeutic applications. The optogenetic toolkit consists of light-responsive proteins that modulate specific cellular functions, vectors for the delivery of the transgenes that encode the light-responsive proteins to targeted cellular populations, and devices for the delivery of light of suitable wavelengths at effective fluence rates. A refined toolkit with a focus towards translational uses would include efficient and safer viral and non-viral gene-delivery vectors, increasingly red-shifted photoresponsive proteins, nanomaterials that efficiently transduce near-infrared light deep into tissue, and wireless implantable light-delivery devices that allow for spatiotemporally precise interventions at clinically relevant tissue depths. In this Review, we examine the current optogenetics toolkit and the most notable preclinical and translational uses of optogenetics, and discuss future methodological and translational developments and bottlenecks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshaya Bansal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Swati Shikha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,NUS Suzhou Research Institute, Suzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
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7
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Bali B, Lopez de la Morena D, Mittring A, Mager T, Rankovic V, Huet AT, Moser T. Utility of red-light ultrafast optogenetic stimulation of the auditory pathway. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e13391. [PMID: 33960685 PMCID: PMC8185542 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202013391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic stimulation of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in the ear provides a future alternative to electrical stimulation used in current cochlear implants. Here, we employed fast and very fast variants of the red-light-activated channelrhodopsin (ChR) Chrimson (f-Chrimson and vf-Chrimson) to study their utility for optogenetic stimulation of SGNs in mice. The light requirements were higher for vf-Chrimson than for f-Chrimson, even when optimizing membrane expression of vf-Chrimson by adding potassium channel trafficking sequences. Optogenetic time and intensity coding by single putative SGNs were compared with coding of acoustic clicks. vf-Chrimson enabled putative SGNs to fire at near-physiological rates with good temporal precision up to 250 Hz of stimulation. The dynamic range of SGN spike rate coding upon optogenetic stimulation was narrower than for acoustic clicks but larger than reported for electrical stimulation. The dynamic range of spike timing, on the other hand, was more comparable for optogenetic and acoustic stimulation. In conclusion, f-Chrimson and vf-Chrimson are promising candidates for optogenetic stimulation of SGNs in auditory research and future cochlear implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burak Bali
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Restorative Cochlear Genomics GroupAuditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - David Lopez de la Morena
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience GroupMax‐Planck‐Institute for Experimental MedicineGöttingenGermany
| | - Artur Mittring
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Circuit LabInstitute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Thomas Mager
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC)University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Vladan Rankovic
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Restorative Cochlear Genomics GroupAuditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Antoine Tarquin Huet
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Circuit LabInstitute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC)University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience GroupMax‐Planck‐Institute for Experimental MedicineGöttingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC)University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
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8
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Abstract
Vision and hearing disorders comprise the most common sensory disorders found in people. Many forms of vision and hearing loss are inherited and current treatments only provide patients with temporary or partial relief. As a result, developing genetic therapies for any of the several hundred known causative genes underlying inherited retinal and cochlear disorders has been of great interest. Recent exciting advances in gene therapy have shown promise for the clinical treatment of inherited retinal diseases, and while clinical gene therapies for cochlear disease are not yet available, research in the last several years has resulted in significant advancement in preclinical development for gene delivery to the cochlea. Furthermore, the development of somatic targeted genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 has brought new possibilities for the treatment of dominant or gain-of-function disease. Here we discuss the current state of gene therapy for inherited diseases of the retina and cochlea with an eye toward areas that still need additional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Crane
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Shannon M. Conley
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- Oklahoma Center for Neurosciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Muayyad R. Al-Ubaidi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Depatment of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Muna I. Naash
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Depatment of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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9
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Brown WGA, Needham K, Begeng JM, Thompson AC, Nayagam BA, Kameneva T, Stoddart PR. Response of primary auditory neurons to stimulation with infrared light in vitro. J Neural Eng 2021; 18:046003. [PMID: 33724234 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/abe7b8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Infrared light can be used to modulate the activity of neuronal cells through thermally-evoked capacitive currents and thermosensitive ion channel modulation. The infrared power threshold for action potentials has previously been found to be far lower in the in vivo cochlea when compared with other neuronal targets, implicating spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) as a potential target for infrared auditory prostheses. However, conflicting experimental evidence suggests that this low threshold may arise from an intermediary mechanism other than direct SGN stimulation, potentially involving residual hair cell activity. APPROACH Patch-clamp recordings from cultured SGNs were used to explicitly quantify the capacitive and ion channel currents in an environment devoid of hair cells. Neurons were irradiated by a 1870 nm laser with pulse durations of 0.2-5.0 ms and powers up to 1.5 W. A Hodgkin-Huxley-type model was established by first characterising the voltage dependent currents, and then incorporating laser-evoked currents separated into temperature-dependent and temperature-gradient-dependent components. This model was found to accurately simulate neuronal responses and allowed the results to be extrapolated to stimulation parameter spaces not accessible during this study. MAIN RESULTS The previously-reported low in vivo SGN stimulation threshold was not observed, and only subthreshold depolarisation was achieved, even at high light exposures. Extrapolating these results with our Hodgkin-Huxley-type model predicts an action potential threshold which does not deviate significantly from other neuronal types. SIGNIFICANCE This suggests that the low-threshold response that is commonly reported in vivo may arise from an alternative mechanism, and calls into question the potential usefulness of the effect for auditory prostheses. The step-wise approach to modelling optically-evoked currents described here may prove useful for analysing a wider range of cell types where capacitive currents and conductance modulation are dominant.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G A Brown
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, John Street, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia
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10
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Abstract
Neuromodulation, via stimulation of a variety of peripheral and central structures, is used to suppress tinnitus. However, investigative limitations in humans due to ethical reasons have made it difficult to decipher the mechanisms underlying treatment-induced tinnitus relief, so a number of animal models have arisen to address these unknowns. This chapter reviews animal models of cochlear and brain stimulation and assesses their modulatory effects on behavioral evidence of tinnitus and its related neural correlates. When a structure is stimulated, localized modulation, often presenting as downregulation of spontaneous neuronal spike firing rate, bursting and neurosynchrony, occurs within the brain area. Through anatomical projections and transmitter pathways, the interventions activate both auditory- and non-auditory structures by taking bottom-up ascending and top-down descending modes to influence their target brain structures. Furthermore, it is the brain oscillations that cochlear or brain stimulation evoke and connect the prefrontal cortex, striatal systems, and other limbic structures to refresh neural networks and relieve auditory, attentive, conscious, as well as emotional reactive aspects of tinnitus. This oscillatory neural network connectivity is achieved via the thalamocorticothalamic circuitry including the lemniscal and non-lemniscal auditory brain structures. Beyond existing technologies, the review also reveals opportunities for developing advanced animal models using new modalities to achieve precision neuromodulation and tinnitus abatement, such as optogenetic cochlear and/or brain stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsheng Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. .,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Wayne State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Ethan Firestone
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ahmed Elattma
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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11
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Dieter A, Klein E, Keppeler D, Jablonski L, Harczos T, Hoch G, Rankovic V, Paul O, Jeschke M, Ruther P, Moser T. μLED-based optical cochlear implants for spectrally selective activation of the auditory nerve. EMBO Mol Med 2020; 12:e12387. [PMID: 32596983 PMCID: PMC7411546 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202012387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrical cochlear implants (eCIs) partially restore hearing and enable speech comprehension to more than half a million users, thereby re-connecting deaf patients to the auditory scene surrounding them. Yet, eCIs suffer from limited spectral selectivity, resulting from current spread around each electrode contact and causing poor speech recognition in the presence of background noise. Optogenetic stimulation of the auditory nerve might overcome this limitation as light can be conveniently confined in space. Here, we combined virus-mediated optogenetic manipulation of cochlear spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and microsystems engineering to establish acute multi-channel optical cochlear implant (oCI) stimulation in adult Mongolian gerbils. oCIs based on 16 microscale thin-film light-emitting diodes (μLEDs) evoked tonotopic activation of the auditory pathway with high spectral selectivity and modest power requirements in hearing and deaf gerbils. These results prove the feasibility of μLED-based oCIs for spectrally selective activation of the auditory nerve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Dieter
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Present address:
Synaptic Wiring LabCenter for Molecular Neurobiology HamburgUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Eric Klein
- Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK)University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Daniel Keppeler
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Lukasz Jablonski
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Tamas Harczos
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Gerhard Hoch
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Vladan Rankovic
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
- Restorative Cochlear Genomics GroupAuditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Oliver Paul
- Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK)University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- BrainLinks‐BrainToolsCluster of ExcellenceUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Marcus Jeschke
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates GroupAuditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
| | - Patrick Ruther
- Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK)University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- BrainLinks‐BrainToolsCluster of ExcellenceUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics LaboratoryGerman Primate CenterGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience GroupMax Planck Institute for Experimental MedicineGöttingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells” (MBExC)University of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
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12
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Hart WL, Richardson RT, Kameneva T, Thompson AC, Wise AK, Fallon JB, Stoddart PR, Needham K. Combined optogenetic and electrical stimulation of auditory neurons increases effective stimulation frequency-an in vitro study. J Neural Eng 2020; 17:016069. [PMID: 31923907 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ab6a68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The performance of neuroprostheses, including cochlear and retinal implants, is currently constrained by the spatial resolution of electrical stimulation. Optogenetics has improved the spatial control of neurons in vivo but lacks the fast-temporal dynamics required for auditory and retinal signalling. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that combining optical and electrical stimulation in vitro could address some of the limitations associated with each of the stimulus modes when used independently. APPROACH The response of murine auditory neurons expressing ChR2-H134 to combined optical and electrical stimulation was characterised using whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology. MAIN RESULTS Optogenetic costimulation produces a three-fold increase in peak firing rate compared to optical stimulation alone and allows spikes to be evoked by combined subthreshold optical and electrical inputs. Subthreshold optical depolarisation also facilitated spiking in auditory neurons for periods of up to 30 ms without evidence of wide-scale Na+ inactivation. SIGNIFICANCE These findings may contribute to the development of spatially and temporally selective optogenetic-based neuroprosthetics and complement recent developments in 'fast opsins'.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L Hart
- ARC Training Centre in Biodevices, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Rachael T Richardson
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), University of Melbourne, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Medical Bionics Department, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
| | - Tatiana Kameneva
- Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia
| | | | - Andrew K Wise
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), University of Melbourne, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Medical Bionics Department, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
| | - James B Fallon
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), University of Melbourne, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Medical Bionics Department, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
| | - Paul R Stoddart
- ARC Training Centre in Biodevices, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia
| | - Karina Needham
- Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), University of Melbourne, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed
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13
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Abstract
Monkeys are a premier model organism for neuroscience research. Activity in the central nervous systems of monkeys can be recorded and manipulated while they perform complex perceptual, motor, or cognitive tasks. Conventional techniques for manipulating neural activity in monkeys are too coarse to address many of the outstanding questions in primate neuroscience, but optogenetics holds the promise to overcome this hurdle. In this article, we review the progress that has been made in primate optogenetics over the past 5 years. We emphasize the use of gene regulatory sequences in viral vectors to target specific neuronal types, and we present data on vectors that we engineered to target parvalbumin-expressing neurons. We conclude with a discussion of the utility of optogenetics for treating sensorimotor hearing loss and Parkinson's disease, areas of translational neuroscience in which monkeys provide unique leverage for basic science and medicine.
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14
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Meng X, Murali S, Cheng YF, Lu J, Hight AE, Kanumuri VV, Brown MC, Holt JR, Lee DJ, Edge ASB. Increasing the expression level of ChR2 enhances the optogenetic excitability of cochlear neurons. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:1962-1974. [PMID: 31533018 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00828.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics comprise a promising alternative to electrical stimulation for characterization of neural circuits and for the next generation of neural prostheses. Optogenetic stimulation relies on expression of photosensitive microbial proteins in animal cells to initiate a flow of ions into the cells in response to visible light. Here, we generated a novel transgenic mouse model in which we studied the optogenetic activation of spiral ganglion neurons, the primary afferent neurons of the auditory system, and showed a strong optogenetic response, with a similar amplitude as the acoustically evoked response. A twofold increase in the level of channelrhodopsin expression significantly increased the photosensitivity at both the single cell and organismal levels but also partially compromised the native electrophysiological properties of the neurons. The importance of channelrhodopsin expression level to optogenetic stimulation, revealed by these quantitative measurements, will be significant for the characterization of neural circuitry and for the use of optogenetics in neural prostheses.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study reveals a dose-response relationship between channelrhodopsin expression and optogenetic excitation. Both single cell and organismal responses depend on the expression level of the heterologous protein. Expression level of the opsin is thus an important variable in determining the outcome of an optogenetic experiment. These results are key to the implementation of neural prostheses based on optogenetics, such as next generation cochlear implants, which would use light to elicit a neural response to sound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiankai Meng
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Swetha Murali
- Department of Otolaryngology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yen-Fu Cheng
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jingrong Lu
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ariel E Hight
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Vivek V Kanumuri
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - M Christian Brown
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jeffrey R Holt
- Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Otolaryngology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel J Lee
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Albert S B Edge
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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15
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Abstract
When hearing fails, cochlear implants (CIs) provide open speech perception to most of the currently half a million CI users. CIs bypass the defective sensory organ and stimulate the auditory nerve electrically. The major bottleneck of current CIs is the poor coding of spectral information, which results from wide current spread from each electrode contact. As light can be more conveniently confined, optical stimulation of the auditory nerve presents a promising perspective for a fundamental advance of CIs. Moreover, given the improved frequency resolution of optical excitation and its versatility for arbitrary stimulation patterns the approach also bears potential for auditory research. Here, we review the current state of the art focusing on the emerging concept of optogenetic stimulation of the auditory pathway. Developing optogenetic stimulation for auditory research and future CIs requires efforts toward viral gene transfer to the neurons, design and characterization of appropriate optogenetic actuators, as well as engineering of multichannel optical implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Dombrowski
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Elisabeth Hospital, 44787 Bochum, Germany
| | - Vladan Rankovic
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Group, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Group, German Primate Center, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
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16
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Abstract
The use of light as a tool to manipulate cellular processes or optogenetics has developed rapidly in various biological fields over the past decade. Through the addition of photosensitive proteins, light can be used to control intracellular mechanisms, map neuronal pathways, and alter variables that would be difficult to control using other mechanisms. Photons of a specific wavelength affect these light sensitive targets for in vitro or in vivo experiments. Optogenetics is beneficial because it gives the investigator spatial and temporal control over experimental variables. Precise control is achieved by sequential activation of different ion channels and the ability to non-invasively control membrane potential. In this review, we will discuss the recent use of optogenetics in biological fields to understand the role of different cell types in hearing and creating a new cochlear implant, as well as future uses such as light controlled drug delivery and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph DiGuiseppi
- Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University School of Medicine, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
| | - Jian Zuo
- Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University School of Medicine, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
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17
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Duarte MJ, Kanumuri VV, Landegger LD, Tarabichi O, Sinha S, Meng X, Hight AE, Kozin ED, Stankovic KM, Brown MC, Lee DJ. Ancestral Adeno-Associated Virus Vector Delivery of Opsins to Spiral Ganglion Neurons: Implications for Optogenetic Cochlear Implants. Mol Ther 2018; 26:1931-1939. [PMID: 30017876 PMCID: PMC6094394 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics is a transformative technology based on light-sensitive microbial proteins, known as opsins, that enable precise modulation of neuronal activity with pulsed radiant energy. Optogenetics has been proposed as a means to improve auditory implant outcomes by reducing channel interaction and increasing electrode density, but the introduction of opsins into cochlear spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in vivo has been challenging. Here we test opsin delivery using a synthetically developed ancestral adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector called Anc80L65. Wild-type C57BL/6 mouse pups were injected via the round window of cochlea with Anc80L65 carrying opsin Chronos under the control of a CAG promoter. Following an incubation of 6-22 weeks, pulsed blue light was delivered to cochlear SGNs via a cochleosotomy approach and flexible optical fiber. Optically evoked auditory brainstem responses (oABRs) and multiunit activity in inferior colliculus (IC) were observed. Post-experiment cochlear histology demonstrated opsin expression in SGNs (mean = 74%), with an even distribution of opsin along the cochlear basal/apical gradient. This study is the first to describe robust SGN transduction, opsin expression, and optically evoked auditory electrophysiology in neonatal mice. Ultimately, this work may provide the basis for a new generation of cochlear implant based on light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Duarte
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vivek V Kanumuri
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lukas D Landegger
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Osama Tarabichi
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sumi Sinha
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiankai Meng
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ariel Edward Hight
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elliott D Kozin
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Konstantina M Stankovic
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M Christian Brown
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel J Lee
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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18
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Zhang W, Kim SM, Wang W, Cai C, Feng Y, Kong W, Lin X. Cochlear Gene Therapy for Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Current Status and Major Remaining Hurdles for Translational Success. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:221. [PMID: 29997477 PMCID: PMC6028713 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) affects millions of people. Genetic mutations play a large and direct role in both congenital and late-onset cases of SNHL (e.g., age-dependent hearing loss, ADHL). Although hearing aids can help moderate to severe hearing loss the only effective treatment for deaf patients is the cochlear implant (CI). Gene- and cell-based therapies potentially may preserve or restore hearing with more natural sound perception, since their theoretical frequency resolution power is much higher than that of cochlear implants. These biologically-based interventions also carry the potential to re-establish hearing without the need for implanting any prosthetic device; the convenience and lower financial burden afforded by such biologically-based interventions could potentially benefit far more SNHL patients. Recently major progress has been achieved in preclinical studies of cochlear gene therapy. This review critically evaluates recent advances in the preclinical trials of gene therapies for SNHL and the major remaining challenges for the development and eventual clinical translation of this novel therapy. The cochlea bears many similarities to the eye for translational studies of gene therapies. Experience gained in ocular gene therapy trials, many of which have advanced to clinical phase III, may provide valuable guidance in improving the chance of success for cochlear gene therapy in human trials. A discussion on potential implications of translational knowledge gleaned from large numbers of advanced clinical trials of ocular gene therapy is therefore included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sun Myoung Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Wenwen Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Yong Feng
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Weijia Kong
- Department of Otolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Lin
- Department of Otolaryngology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
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19
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Abstract
This special issue of Network: Computation in Neural Systems on the topic of "Computational models of the electrically stimulated auditory system" incorporates review articles spanning a wide range of approaches to modeling cochlear implant stimulation of the auditory system. The purpose of this overview paper is to provide a historical context for the different modeling endeavors and to point toward how computational modeling could play a key role in the understanding, evaluation, and improvement of cochlear implants in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard U Seeber
- a Audio Information Processing, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering , Technical University of Munich , Munich , Germany
| | - Ian C Bruce
- b Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering , McMaster University , Hamilton , Ontario , Canada
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