Turning brain neurons on and off with light: A reversible synaptic switch
Researchers have developed LATeNT, an optical tool that uses blue light to temporarily suppress and then restore synaptic signaling between neurons. This technology could help scientists better understand brain disorders and regulate biological processes like insulin secretion.
Why it matters
This advancement provides a precise, reversible method for studying neural pathways, potentially leading to new treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions.
by Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source mCherry–LATeNT cleaves endogenous VAMP2 in cultured neurons. Credit: Nature Methods (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41592-026-03176-w A research team led by Professor Ji Won Um of the Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, Department of Brain Sciences, DGIST, in collaboration with a team led by Professor Alice Ting at Stanford University, has developed LATeNT, a novel optical control platform that uses light to block signal transmission between neurons and subsequently restore normal signaling. The work is published in the journal Nature Methods .
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