2026-06-04 ワシントン大学セントルイス校
◆研究では、光によって神経細胞や心筋細胞の活動を精密に制御できる光遺伝学技術を活用し、不整脈発生時の脳活動変化を詳細に観察した。その結果、不整脈は単に循環機能を乱すだけでなく、脳内の神経活動や情報処理にも影響を及ぼすことが示された。これらの変化は認知機能や神経学的症状との関連を示唆しており、心血管疾患と神経疾患のつながりを理解する上で重要な手掛かりとなる。
◆研究チームは、心臓と脳の双方向ネットワークの解明が、不整脈患者にみられる認知機能低下や神経症状の理解、新たな治療法開発につながる可能性があるとしている。今回の成果は、循環器医学と神経科学を結び付ける学際的研究として注目される。
＜関連情報＞
- https://source.washu.edu/2026/06/light-genetics-provide-insight-into-arrhythmias-effects-on-brain/
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeb1092
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1500639
非侵襲的な光遺伝学的手法による心臓不整脈の誘導は、マウスの全身血行動態を変化させる Noninvasive optogenetic induction of cardiac arrhythmias alters systemic hemodynamics in mice
Marcello Magri Amaral, Abigail Matt, Kaelyn H. Schloss, Fei Wang, […] , and Chao Zhou
Science Advances Published:3 Jun 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb1092
Fig. 1. Generation and light stimulation of a ReaChR-expressing mouse strain.
Abstract
Mouse models are valuable for studying the systemic effects of arrhythmia, but traditional methods of heart pacing are invasive and technically complex. Cardiac optogenetics enables precise control of cardiac activity using light-sensitive ion channels and has been used for tachypacing, resynchronization, and defibrillation in animal models. Recent advances in opsins with red-shifted activation spectra and optimized light delivery strategies have enhanced noninvasive pacing approaches, particularly in mammalian models. Here, we use an area illumination approach for light stimulation through the intact chest to perform in vivo, noninvasive optogenetic tachypacing in transgenic mice expressing ReaChR with low irradiance (<1 mW/mm2). We assess both cardiac and cortical hemodynamic responses via echocardiography and optical intrinsic signal imaging (OISI). Our findings reveal that whole-heart arrhythmic stimulation alters cortical hemodynamic activity, highlighting the direct impact of arrhythmias on brain perfusion and oxygenation. This work provides insight into the heart-brain connection and the broader systemic consequences of cardiac dysfunction.
ショウジョウバエにおける光遺伝学的ペースメーカー Optogenetic pacing in Drosophila melanogaster
Aneesh Alex, Airong Li, Rudolph E. Tanzi, Chao Zhou
Science Advances Published:9 Oct 2015
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500639
Abstract
Electrical stimulation is currently the gold standard for cardiac pacing. However, it is invasive and nonspecific for cardiac tissues. We recently developed a noninvasive cardiac pacing technique using optogenetic tools, which are widely used in neuroscience. Optogenetic pacing of the heart provides high spatial and temporal precisions, is specific for cardiac tissues, avoids artifacts associated with electrical stimulation, and therefore promises to be a powerful tool in basic cardiac research. We demonstrated optogenetic control of heart rhythm in a well-established model organism, Drosophila melanogaster. We developed transgenic flies expressing a light-gated cation channel, channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), specifically in their hearts and demonstrated successful optogenetic pacing of ChR2-expressing Drosophila at different developmental stages, including the larva, pupa, and adult stages. A high-speed and ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence microscopy imaging system that is capable of providing images at a rate of 130 frames/s with axial and transverse resolutions of 1.5 and 3.9 μm, respectively, was used to noninvasively monitor Drosophila cardiac function and its response to pacing stimulation. The development of a noninvasive integrated optical pacing and imaging system provides a novel platform for performing research studies in developmental cardiology.
