Sonogenetics has emerged as a groundbreaking tool in therapeutic ultrasound, revolutionizing the modulation of neuronal activity and excitatory cells. This innovative technology utilizes bioengineering techniques to confer or amplify ultrasound sensitivity in target cells through engineered or modified protein mediators. The ability of ultrasound to penetrate the skull and reach deep brain tissue has sparked significant interest in the neuromodulation community, offering a non-invasive approach to modulating neurons and addressing cellular dysfunction and degeneration. Novel methods in sonogenetics aim to enhance cellular control by activating mechanosensitive and thermosensitive cellular mechanisms with ultrasound stimulation.
Focused ultrasound, FUS, has become a highly effective non-invasive therapeutic tool in the biomedical field. With precise targeting enabled by FUS guided by magnetic resonance imaging, clinicians can direct ultrasound beams to specific treatment locations with high spatiotemporal resolution. Clinical applications of FUS have advanced patient care through non-invasive treatments like tumor ablation, improved drug delivery control, and modulation of neuronal activity
The integration of bioengineering techniques with ultrasound technology has paved the way for sonogenetics, a method that sensitizes specific cells to ultrasound stimulation for cellular modulation. Sonogenetics, a nascent field, has already shown promise through gene insertion and protein mediation to sensitize cells to ultrasound. This innovative approach holds potential for enhancing ultrasound neuromodulation with minimal cell damage, offering new avenues for treating neurological disorders and neurodegeneration.
Neurodegenerative diseases pose significant challenges due to limited access to the brain for diagnosis and treatment. FUS has emerged as a non-invasive solution, approved by the FDA for conditions like Parkinson's dyskinesia. Sonogenetics presents a novel approach to further refine ultrasound neuromodulation, amplifying neural responses through bioengineering techniques. By sensitizing specific cells to ultrasound, sonogenetics offers a promising avenue for improving the treatment of neurological conditions with minimal invasiveness.
