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Magnetically regulated gene therapy offers precise brain-circuit control
A new technology enables the control of specific brain circuits non-invasively with magnetic fields, according to a preclinical study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, The Rockefeller University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The technology holds promise as a powerful tool for studying the brain and as the basis for future neurological and psychiatric treatments for conditions as diverse as Parkinson’s disease, depression, obesity and complex pain. After doing early work on magnetogenetic technology as an alternative to other approaches, Dr. Friedman and Dr. Stanley joined forces with Dr. Kaplitt, a pioneer of brain-targeted gene therapies, to develop a method of this type with the potential for clinical applications. While the gene therapy is delivered to precise brain regions through a minimally invasive surgery, a sufficiently strong magnetic field can then exert enough force on the ferritin-trapped iron atoms to open or close the channel—activating the neuron or inhibiting it, depending on the design, without the need for an implanted device or drug.
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