Light-activated drugs and signaling molecules have therapeutic potential and are valuable experimental tools. Photoactivation of a mu opioid receptor agonist in the mouse brain rapidly triggered pain relief and locomotion, demonstrating that in vivo photopharmacology can drive dynamic studies into animal behavior.
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References
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This is a summary of: Ma, X. et al. In vivo photopharmacology with a caged mu opioid receptor agonist drives rapid changes in behavior. Nat. Methods https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-023-01819-w (2023).
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Deep-brain photoactivation of an opioid peptide shapes mouse behavior within seconds. Nat Methods 20, 645–646 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-023-01821-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-023-01821-2
