1
|
Gao TT, Oh T, Mehta K, Huang YA, Camp T, Fan H, Han JW, Barnes CM, Zhang K. The clinical potential of optogenetic interrogation of pathogenesis. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1243. [PMID: 37132114 PMCID: PMC10154842 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opsin-based optogenetics has emerged as a powerful biomedical tool using light to control protein conformation. Such capacity has been initially demonstrated to control ion flow across the cell membrane, enabling precise control of action potential in excitable cells such as neurons or muscle cells. Further advancement in optogenetics incorporates a greater variety of photoactivatable proteins and results in flexible control of biological processes, such as gene expression and signal transduction, with commonly employed light sources such as LEDs or lasers in optical microscopy. Blessed by the precise genetic targeting specificity and superior spatiotemporal resolution, optogenetics offers new biological insights into physiological and pathological mechanisms underlying health and diseases. Recently, its clinical potential has started to be capitalized, particularly for blindness treatment, due to the convenient light delivery into the eye. AIMS AND METHODS This work summarizes the progress of current clinical trials and provides a brief overview of basic structures and photophysics of commonly used photoactivable proteins. We highlight recent achievements such as optogenetic control of the chimeric antigen receptor, CRISPR-Cas system, gene expression, and organelle dynamics. We discuss conceptual innovation and technical challenges faced by current optogenetic research. CONCLUSION In doing so, we provide a framework that showcases ever-growing applications of optogenetics in biomedical research and may inform novel precise medicine strategies based on this enabling technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Terry Gao
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Teak‐Jung Oh
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Kritika Mehta
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Yu‐En Andrew Huang
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignCenter for Biophysics and Quantitative BiologyUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Tyler Camp
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Huaxun Fan
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Jeong Won Han
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Collin Michael Barnes
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Kai Zhang
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignCenter for Biophysics and Quantitative BiologyUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- Cancer Center at IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dokshokova L, Pianca N, Zaglia T, Mongillo M. Optogenetic Control of Heart Rhythm: Lightly Guiding the Cardiac Pace. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2483:205-229. [PMID: 35286678 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2245-2_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
It is well appreciated that, differently from skeletal muscles, the heart contracts independently from neurogenic inputs. However, the speed and force of heartbeats are finely modulated during stresses, emotions, and daily activities, by the autonomic neurons (both parasympathetic and sympathetic) which highly innervate the myocardium. Despite this aspect of cardiac physiology has been known for long, research has only recently shed light on the biophysical mechanisms underlying the meticulous adaptation of heart activity to the needs of the organism. A conceptual advancement in this regard has come from the use of optogenetics, a revolutionary methodology which allows to control the activity of a given excitable cell type, with high specificity, temporal and spatial resolution, within intact tissues and organisms. The method, widely affirmed in the field of neuroscience, has more recently been exploited also in research on heart physiology and pathology, including the study of the mechanisms regulating heart rhythm. The last point is the object of this book chapter which, starting from the description of the physiology of heart rhythm automaticity and the neurogenic modulation of heart rate, makes an excursus on the theoretical basis of such biotechnology (with its advantages and limitations), and presents a series of examples in cardiac and neuro-cardiac optogenetics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lolita Dokshokova
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Nicola Pianca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Tania Zaglia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.
| | - Marco Mongillo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Madrid MK, Brennan JA, Yin RT, Knight HS, Efimov IR. Advances in Implantable Optogenetic Technology for Cardiovascular Research and Medicine. Front Physiol 2021; 12:720190. [PMID: 34675815 PMCID: PMC8523791 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.720190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic technology provides researchers with spatiotemporally precise tools for stimulation, sensing, and analysis of function in cells, tissues, and organs. These tools can offer low-energy and localized approaches due to the use of the transgenically expressed light gated cation channel Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). While the field began with many neurobiological accomplishments it has also evolved exceptionally well in animal cardiac research, both in vitro and in vivo. Implantable optical devices are being extensively developed to study particular electrophysiological phenomena with the precise control that optogenetics provides. In this review, we highlight recent advances in novel implantable optogenetic devices and their feasibility in cardiac research. Furthermore, we also emphasize the difficulties in translating this technology toward clinical applications and discuss potential solutions for successful clinical translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Micah K Madrid
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jaclyn A Brennan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Rose T Yin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Helen S Knight
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Igor R Efimov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Scalco A, Moro N, Mongillo M, Zaglia T. Neurohumoral Cardiac Regulation: Optogenetics Gets Into the Groove. Front Physiol 2021; 12:726895. [PMID: 34531763 PMCID: PMC8438220 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.726895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the main modulator of heart function, adapting contraction force, and rate to the continuous variations of intrinsic and extrinsic environmental conditions. While the parasympathetic branch dominates during rest-and-digest sympathetic neuron (SN) activation ensures the rapid, efficient, and repeatable increase of heart performance, e.g., during the "fight-or-flight response." Although the key role of the nervous system in cardiac homeostasis was evident to the eyes of physiologists and cardiologists, the degree of cardiac innervation, and the complexity of its circuits has remained underestimated for too long. In addition, the mechanisms allowing elevated efficiency and precision of neurogenic control of heart function have somehow lingered in the dark. This can be ascribed to the absence of methods adequate to study complex cardiac electric circuits in the unceasingly moving heart. An increasing number of studies adds to the scenario the evidence of an intracardiac neuron system, which, together with the autonomic components, define a little brain inside the heart, in fervent dialogue with the central nervous system (CNS). The advent of optogenetics, allowing control the activity of excitable cells with cell specificity, spatial selectivity, and temporal resolution, has allowed to shed light on basic neuro-cardiology. This review describes how optogenetics, which has extensively been used to interrogate the circuits of the CNS, has been applied to untangle the knots of heart innervation, unveiling the cellular mechanisms of neurogenic control of heart function, in physiology and pathology, as well as those participating to brain-heart communication, back and forth. We discuss existing literature, providing a comprehensive view of the advancement in the understanding of the mechanisms of neurogenic heart control. In addition, we weigh the limits and potential of optogenetics in basic and applied research in neuro-cardiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Scalco
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Nicola Moro
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Mongillo
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Tania Zaglia
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Oh TJ, Fan H, Skeeters SS, Zhang K. Steering Molecular Activity with Optogenetics: Recent Advances and Perspectives. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2000180. [PMID: 34028216 PMCID: PMC8218620 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetics utilizes photosensitive proteins to manipulate the localization and interaction of molecules in living cells. Because light can be rapidly switched and conveniently confined to the sub-micrometer scale, optogenetics allows for controlling cellular events with an unprecedented resolution in time and space. The past decade has witnessed an enormous progress in the field of optogenetics within the biological sciences. The ever-increasing amount of optogenetic tools, however, can overwhelm the selection of appropriate optogenetic strategies. Considering that each optogenetic tool may have a distinct mode of action, a comparative analysis of the current optogenetic toolbox can promote the further use of optogenetics, especially by researchers new to this field. This review provides such a compilation that highlights the spatiotemporal accuracy of current optogenetic systems. Recent advances of optogenetics in live cells and animal models are summarized, the emerging work that interlinks optogenetics with other research fields is presented, and exciting clinical and industrial efforts to employ optogenetic strategy toward disease intervention are reported.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teak-Jung Oh
- 600 South Mathews Avenue, 314 B Roger Adams Laboratory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Huaxun Fan
- 600 South Mathews Avenue, 314 B Roger Adams Laboratory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Savanna S Skeeters
- 600 South Mathews Avenue, 314 B Roger Adams Laboratory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- 600 South Mathews Avenue, 314 B Roger Adams Laboratory, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
The electromechanical function of the heart involves complex, coordinated activity over time and space. Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias arise from asynchrony in these space-time events; therefore, therapies for prevention and treatment require fundamental understanding and the ability to visualize, perturb and control cardiac activity. Optogenetics combines optical and molecular biology (genetic) approaches for light-enabled sensing and actuation of electrical activity with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution and parallelism. The year 2020 marks a decade of developments in cardiac optogenetics since this technology was adopted from neuroscience and applied to the heart. In this Review, we appraise a decade of advances that define near-term (immediate) translation based on all-optical electrophysiology, including high-throughput screening, cardiotoxicity testing and personalized medicine assays, and long-term (aspirational) prospects for clinical translation of cardiac optogenetics, including new optical therapies for rhythm control. The main translational opportunities and challenges for optogenetics to be fully embraced in cardiology are also discussed.
Collapse
|
7
|
Cardiac Optogenetics in Atrial Fibrillation: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:8814092. [PMID: 33195698 PMCID: PMC7641281 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8814092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Although rarely life-threatening on short term, atrial fibrillation leads to increased mortality and decreased quality of life through its complications, including heart failure and stroke. Recent studies highlight the benefits of maintaining sinus rhythm. However, pharmacological long-term rhythm control strategies may be shadowed by associated proarrhythmic effects. At the same time, electrical cardioversion is limited to hospitals, while catheter ablation therapy, although effective, is invasive and is dedicated to specific patients, usually with low amounts of atrial fibrosis (preferably Utah I-II). Cardiac optogenetics allows influencing the heart's electrical activity by applying specific wavelength light pulses to previously engineered cardiomyocytes into expressing microbial derived light-sensitive proteins called opsins. The resulting ion influx may give rise to either hyperpolarizing or depolarizing currents, thus offering a therapeutic potential in cardiac electrophysiology, including pacing, resynchronization, and arrhythmia termination. Optogenetic atrial fibrillation cardioversion might be achieved by inducing a conduction block or filling of the excitable gap. The authors agree that transmural opsin expression and appropriate illumination with an exposure time longer than the arrhythmia cycle length are necessary to achieve successful arrhythmia termination. However, the efficiency and safety of biological cardioversion in humans remain to be seen, as well as side effects such as immune reactions and loss of opsin expression. The possibility of delivering pain-free shocks with out-of-hospital biological cardioversion is tempting; however, there are several issues that need to be addressed first: applicability and safety in humans, long-term behaviour, anticoagulation requirements, and fibrosis interactions.
Collapse
|
8
|
Joshi J, Rubart M, Zhu W. Optogenetics: Background, Methodological Advances and Potential Applications for Cardiovascular Research and Medicine. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 7:466. [PMID: 32064254 PMCID: PMC7000355 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics is an elegant approach of precisely controlling and monitoring the biological functions of a cell, group of cells, tissues, or organs with high temporal and spatial resolution by using optical system and genetic engineering technologies. The field evolved with the need to precisely control neurons and decipher neural circuity and has made great accomplishments in neuroscience. It also evolved in cardiovascular research almost a decade ago and has made considerable progress in both in vitro and in vivo animal studies. Thus, this review is written with an objective to provide information on the evolution, background, methodical advances, and potential scope of the field for cardiovascular research and medicine. We begin with a review of literatures on optogenetic proteins related to their origin, structure, types, mechanism of action, methods to improve their performance, and the delivery vehicles and methods to express such proteins on target cells and tissues for cardiovascular research. Next, we reviewed historical and recent literatures to demonstrate the scope of optogenetics for cardiovascular research and regenerative medicine and examined that cardiac optogenetics is vital in mimicking heart diseases, understanding the mechanisms of disease progression and also in introducing novel therapies to treat cardiac abnormalities, such as arrhythmias. We also reviewed optogenetics as promising tools in providing high-throughput data for cardiotoxicity screening in drug development and also in deciphering dynamic roles of signaling moieties in cell signaling. Finally, we put forth considerations on the need of scaling up of the optogenetic system, clinically relevant in vivo and in silico models, light attenuation issues, and concerns over the level, immune reactions, toxicity, and ectopic expression with opsin expression. Detailed investigations on such considerations would accelerate the translation of cardiac optogenetics from present in vitro and in vivo animal studies to clinical therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jyotsna Joshi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Michael Rubart
- Department of Pediatrics, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Wuqiang Zhu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Jiang C, Li HT, Zhou YM, Wang X, Wang L, Liu ZQ. Cardiac optogenetics: a novel approach to cardiovascular disease therapy. Europace 2019; 20:1741-1749. [PMID: 29253159 DOI: 10.1093/europace/eux345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics is a cell-type specific and high spatial-temporal resolution method that combines genetic encoding of light-sensitive proteins and optical manipulation techniques. Optogenetics technology provides a novel approach for research on cardiac arrhythmia treatment, including pacing, recovering the conduction system, and achieving cardiac resynchronization with precise and low-energy optical control. Photosensitive proteins, which usually act as ion channels, pumps, or receptors, are delivered to target cells, where they respond to light pulses of specific wavelengths, evoke transient flows of transmembrane ion currents, and induce signal transmission. With the development of gene technology, the in vivo efficiency of optogenetics in cardiology has been trialed, and in vitro experiments have been performed to test its potential in cardiac electrophysiology. Challenges for applying optogenetics in large animals and humans include the effectiveness, safety, and long-term expression of photosensitive proteins, unscattered and unattenuated exogenous light stimulation, and the need for implantable miniature light stimulators. Photosensitive proteins, genetic engineering technology, and light equipment are essential for experiments in cardiac optogenetics. Optogenetics may provide an alternative method for evaluating the mechanism of cardiac arrhythmias, testing hypotheses, and treating cardiovascular diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chan Jiang
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Hai Tao Li
- Department of Cardiology, Hainan General Hospital, Haikou, PR China
| | - Yong Ming Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Long Wang
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, PR China.,Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Zi Qiang Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Riefolo F, Matera C, Garrido-Charles A, Gomila AMJ, Sortino R, Agnetta L, Claro E, Masgrau R, Holzgrabe U, Batlle M, Decker M, Guasch E, Gorostiza P. Optical Control of Cardiac Function with a Photoswitchable Muscarinic Agonist. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:7628-7636. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b03505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Riefolo
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlo Matera
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Aida Garrido-Charles
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexandre M. J. Gomila
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosalba Sortino
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luca Agnetta
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Enrique Claro
- Institut de Neurociències (INc), and Dept. Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Masgrau
- Institut de Neurociències (INc), and Dept. Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ulrike Holzgrabe
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Montserrat Batlle
- Cardiovascular Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona (UB), IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael Decker
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eduard Guasch
- Cardiovascular Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona (UB), IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBER-CV), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pau Gorostiza
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST), Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Network Biomedical Research Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ambrosi CM, Sadananda G, Han JL, Entcheva E. Adeno-Associated Virus Mediated Gene Delivery: Implications for Scalable in vitro and in vivo Cardiac Optogenetic Models. Front Physiol 2019; 10:168. [PMID: 30890951 PMCID: PMC6412093 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) provide advantages in long-term, cardiac-specific gene expression. However, AAV serotype specificity data is lacking in experimental models relevant to cardiac electrophysiology and cardiac optogenetics. We aimed to identify the optimal AAV serotype (1, 6, or 9) in pursuit of scalable rodent and human models using genetic modifications in cardiac electrophysiology and optogenetics, in particular, as well as to elucidate the mechanism of virus uptake. In vitro syncytia of primary neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs) and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) were infected with AAVs 1, 6, and 9 containing the transgene for eGFP or channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) fused to mCherry. In vivo adult rats were intravenously injected with AAV1 and 9 containing ChR2-mCherry. Transgene expression profiles of rat and human cells in vitro revealed that AAV1 and 6 significantly outperformed AAV9. In contrast, systemic delivery of AAV9 in adult rat hearts yielded significantly higher levels of ChR2-mCherry expression and optogenetic responsiveness. We tracked the mechanism of virus uptake to purported receptor-mediators for AAV1/6 (cell surface sialic acid) and AAV9 (37/67 kDa laminin receptor, LamR). In vitro desialylation of NRVMs and hiPSC-CMs with neuraminidase (NM) significantly decreased AAV1,6-mediated gene expression, but interestingly, desialylation of hiPSC-CMs increased AAV9-mediated expression. In fact, only very high viral doses of AAV9-ChR2-mCherry, combined with NM treatment, yielded consistent optogenetic responsiveness in hiPSC-CMs. Differences between the in vitro and in vivo performance of AAV9 could be correlated to robust LamR expression in the intact heart (neonatal rat hearts as well as adult human and rat hearts), but no expression in vitro in cultured cells (primary rat cells and hiPS-CMs). The dynamic nature of LamR expression and its dependence on environmental factors was further corroborated in intact adult human ventricular tissue. The combined transgene expression and cell surface receptor data may explain the preferential efficiency of AAV1/6 in vitro and AAV9 in vivo for cardiac delivery and mechanistic knowledge of their action can help guide cardiac optogenetic efforts. More broadly, these findings are relevant to future efforts in gene therapy for cardiac electrophysiology abnormalities in vivo as well as for genetic modifications of cardiomyocytes by viral means in vitro applications such as disease modeling or high-throughput drug testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Ambrosi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Gouri Sadananda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Julie L Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Emilia Entcheva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
A Software Architecture to Mimic a Ventricular Tachycardia in Intact Murine Hearts by Means of an All-Optical Platform. Methods Protoc 2019; 2:mps2010007. [PMID: 31164591 PMCID: PMC6481051 DOI: 10.3390/mps2010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics is an emerging method that uses light to manipulate electrical activity in excitable cells exploiting the interaction between light and light-sensitive depolarizing ion channels, such as channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). Initially used in the neuroscience, it has been adopted in cardiac research where the expression of ChR2 in cardiac preparations allows optical pacing, resynchronization and defibrillation. Recently, optogenetics has been leveraged to manipulate cardiac electrical activity in the intact heart in real-time. This new approach was applied to simulate a re-entrant circuit across the ventricle. In this technical note, we describe the development and the implementation of a new software package for real-time optogenetic intervention. The package consists of a single LabVIEW program that simultaneously captures images at very high frame rates and delivers precisely timed optogenetic stimuli based on the content of the images. The software implementation guarantees closed-loop optical manipulation at high temporal resolution by processing the raw data in workstation memory. We demonstrate that this strategy allows the simulation of a ventricular tachycardia with high stability and with a negligible loss of data with a temporal resolution of up to 1 ms.
Collapse
|
13
|
Crocini C, Ferrantini C, Pavone FS, Sacconi L. Optogenetics gets to the heart: A guiding light beyond defibrillation. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 130:132-139. [PMID: 28506694 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics provides a tool for controlling the electrical activity of excitable cells by means of the interaction of light with light-gated ion channels. Despite the fact that optogenetics has been intensively utilized in the neurosciences, it has been more rarely employed as an instrument for studying cardiac pathophysiology. However, the advantages of optical approaches to perturb cardiac electrical activity are numerous, especially when the spatio-temporal qualities of light are utterly exploited. Here, we review the main breakthroughs employing optogenetics to perturb cardiac pathophysiology and attempt a comparison of methods and procedures that have employed optogenetics in the heart. We particularly focus on light-based defibrillation strategies that represent one of the latest achievements in this field. We highlight the important role of advanced optical methods for detecting and stimulating electrical activity for optimizing defibrillation strategies and, more generally, for dissecting novel insights in cardiac physiology. Finally, we discuss the main future perspectives that we envision for optogenetics in the heart, both in terms of translational applications and for addressing fundamental questions of cardiac function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Crocini
- European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), Via Nello Carrara, 1 - 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; National Institute of Optic (CNR-INO), Via Nello Carrara, 1 - 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| | - Cecilia Ferrantini
- Division of Physiology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Francesco S Pavone
- European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), Via Nello Carrara, 1 - 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; National Institute of Optic (CNR-INO), Via Nello Carrara, 1 - 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Leonardo Sacconi
- European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy (LENS), Via Nello Carrara, 1 - 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; National Institute of Optic (CNR-INO), Via Nello Carrara, 1 - 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|