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Biophotonics

Implantable waveguides

Nature Photonics volume 7, pages 940–941 (2013)Cite this article

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The development of hydrogel patches that both guide light and accommodate optogenetic cells could usher in a new breed of implantable systems for in-body optical sensing and therapy.

Inside our bodies, millions of cells function in tandem to execute innumerable biological tasks. Proteins interact with nucleic acids, ions, small molecules, lipids and other proteins to mediate the functions of cells. Disruptions to these interactions by synthetic materials, genetic malfunctions or other means can cause problems in cells and give rise to abnormal biological states and disease. If we could peer into these biological processes in real time, we would be able to monitor physiological changes and disease progression, allowing us to design improved therapeutic systems to counteract undesirable effects.

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Figure 1: Schematics of implantable hydrogel patches.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Edward A. Sykes, Alexandre Albanese and Warren C. W. Chan are at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and the Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada,

    Edward A. Sykes, Alexandre Albanese & Warren C. W. Chan

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  1. Edward A. Sykes
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  2. Alexandre Albanese
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  3. Warren C. W. Chan
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Correspondence to Warren C. W. Chan.

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Sykes, E., Albanese, A. & Chan, W. Implantable waveguides. Nature Photon 7, 940–941 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2013.308

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