TY - JOUR
T1 - Infrared light excites cells by changing their electrical capacitance
AU - Shapiro, Mikhail G.
AU - Homma, Kazuaki
AU - Villarreal, Sebastian
AU - Richter, Claus Peter
AU - Bezanilla, Francisco
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Brian Salzberg, Stuart McLaughlin and Robert Eisenberg for helpful discussions. We thank Lockheed Martin Aculight for providing the laser. Funding was provided by the NIH: GM030376 (F.B.) and DC011481-01A1 (C.-P.R.).
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Optical stimulation has enabled important advances in the study of brain function and other biological processes, and holds promise for medical applications ranging from hearing restoration to cardiac pace making. In particular, pulsed laser stimulation using infrared wavelengths >1.5 μm has therapeutic potential based on its ability to directly stimulate nerves and muscles without any genetic or chemical pre-treatment. However, the mechanism of infrared stimulation has been a mystery, hindering its path to the clinic. Here we show that infrared light excites cells through a novel, highly general electrostatic mechanism. Infrared pulses are absorbed by water, producing a rapid local increase in temperature. This heating reversibly alters the electrical capacitance of the plasma membrane, depolarizing the target cell. This mechanism is fully reversible and requires only the most basic properties of cell membranes. Our findings underscore the generality of pulsed infrared stimulation and its medical potential.
AB - Optical stimulation has enabled important advances in the study of brain function and other biological processes, and holds promise for medical applications ranging from hearing restoration to cardiac pace making. In particular, pulsed laser stimulation using infrared wavelengths >1.5 μm has therapeutic potential based on its ability to directly stimulate nerves and muscles without any genetic or chemical pre-treatment. However, the mechanism of infrared stimulation has been a mystery, hindering its path to the clinic. Here we show that infrared light excites cells through a novel, highly general electrostatic mechanism. Infrared pulses are absorbed by water, producing a rapid local increase in temperature. This heating reversibly alters the electrical capacitance of the plasma membrane, depolarizing the target cell. This mechanism is fully reversible and requires only the most basic properties of cell membranes. Our findings underscore the generality of pulsed infrared stimulation and its medical potential.
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U2 - 10.1038/ncomms1742
DO - 10.1038/ncomms1742
M3 - Article
C2 - 22415827
AN - SCOPUS:84859188313
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 3
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
M1 - 736
ER -