People who have been paralysed by conditions such as motor neuron disease and spinal cord injury could have their muscle function restored, thanks to a new technique using light, it has been revealed.
Scientists at UCL and King’s College London believe they have developed a technique that can transplant specially designed motor neurons created from stem cells into injured nerve branches.
These motor neurons react to pulses of blue light, which allows scientists to fine-tune muscle control by adjusting the intensity, duration and frequency of the light pulses.
The technique, published in the latest edition of Science, worked on mice who had injured nerves in the hind leg muscles.
In the study, the transplanted stem cell-derived motor neurons grew along the injured nerves and connected successfully with the paralysed muscles, which were then controlled by pulses of blue light.
Study co-lead Professor Linda Greensmith, of the MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases at UCL’s Institute of Neurology, said their technique has “significant advantages” over existing ones that also use electricity.
“This new technique represents a means to restore the function of specific muscles following paralysing neurological injuries or disease,” she said.
It is hoped that human trials could begin within five years, potentially to develop treatments for patients with motor neuron disease, many of whom eventually lose the ability to breathe.
“We eventually hope to use our method to create a sort of optical pacemaker for the diaphragm to keep these patients breathing,” added Prof Greensmith.
The light-responsive motor neurons were created from stem cells by study co-lead Dr Ivo Lieberam, of the MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King’s College London.
He said the cells were equipped with a molecular light sensor, which allowed them to control motor neurons with blue light flashes. A survival gene was then built into them, which enabled the stem-cell motor neurons to stay alive when they were transplanted inside the injured nerve.
Bryson, Machado, Crossley, Stevenson, Bros-Facer, Burrone, Greensmith & Lieberam, Optical-control of muscle function by transplantation of stem cell-derived motor neurons in mice. Science 4 April 2014
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