Epineural optogenetic activation of nociceptors initiates and amplifies inflammation.

ABSTRACT: Activation of nociceptor sensory neurons by noxious stimuli both triggers pain and increases capillary permeability and blood flow to produce neurogenic inflammation^1,2, but whether nociceptors also interact with the immune system remains poorly understood. Here we report a neurotechnology for selective epineural optogenetic neuromodulation of nociceptors and demonstrate that nociceptor activation drives both protective pain behavior and inflammation. The wireless optoelectronic system consists of sub-millimeter-scale light-emitting diodes embedded in a soft, circumneural sciatic nerve implant, powered and driven by a miniaturized head-mounted control unit. Photostimulation of axons in freely moving mice that express channelrhodopsin only in nociceptors resulted in behaviors cha

SUBMITTER: Michoud F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7878280 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature