Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

NEUROUROLOGY

Innovative device illuminates the horizon of bioelectronic medicines

Nature Reviews Urology volume 16, pages 209–210 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

The use of optogenetic strategies in biomedicine therapeutics has the potential to provide nonpharmacological modulation of nervous system function. The development of integrative, implantable, remote-powered devices is an advance towards translation of these strategies, with the potential for precision, revolutionary treatment of complex or refractory disease-related or trauma-related symptoms.

Refers to Mickle, A. D. et al. A wireless closed-loop system for optogenetic peripheral neuromodulation. Nature 565, 361–365 (2019).

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Schematic of a fully implantable, soft optoelectronic system for wireless, closed-loop optogenetic modulation of bladder function.

References

  1. Mickle, A. D. et al. A wireless closed-loop system for optogenetic peripheral neuromodulation. Nature 565, 361–365 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Gonzalez, E. J. & Grill, W. M. Sensory pudendal nerve stimulation increases bladder capacity through sympathetic mechanisms in cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis rats. Neurourol. Urodyn. 38, 135–143 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wenzel, B. J. et al. Detecting the onset of hyper-reflexive bladder contractions from the electrical activity of the pudendal nerve. IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 13, 428–435 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Rutter, E. M. et al. Detection of bladder contractions from the activity of the external urethral sphincter in rats using sparse regression. IEEE Trans. Neural Syst. Rehabil. Eng. 26, 1636–1644 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Mattis, J. et al. Principles for applying optogenetic tools derived from direct comparative analysis of microbial opsins. Nat. Methods 9, 159–172 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Raimondo, J. V. et al. Optogenetic silencing strategies differ in their effects on inhibitory synaptic transmission. Nat. Neurosci. 15, 1102–1104 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. DeBerry, J. J. et al. Differential regulation of bladder pain and voiding function by sensory afferent populations revealed by selective optogenetic activation. Front. Integr. Neurosci. 12, 5 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Maggi, C. A. et al. Cyclophosphamide cystitis in rats: involvement of capsaicin- sensitive primary afferents. J. Auton. Nerv. Syst. 38, 201–208 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ma, X. L. et al. Experimental evidence for alleviating nociceptive hypersensitivity by single application of capsaicin. Mol. Pain 11, 22–31 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Samineni, V. K. et al. Optogenetic silencing of nociceptive primary afferents reduces evoked and ongoing bladder pain. Sci. Rep. 20, 15865 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Warren M. Grill

  2. Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Jennifer J. DeBerry

Authors
  1. Warren M. Grill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jennifer J. DeBerry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Warren M. Grill or Jennifer J. DeBerry.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Grill, W.M., DeBerry, J.J. Innovative device illuminates the horizon of bioelectronic medicines. Nat Rev Urol 16, 209–210 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-019-0155-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-019-0155-9

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing