Near-Infrared-II Chemo-Optogenetics for Deep-Brain Stimulation
Near-Infrared-II Chemo-Optogenetics for Deep-Brain Stimulation
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Publication status: preprint
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Original abstract
ABSTRACT Precise activation of ion channels enables fine-tuned control of neuronal excitability, providing a powerful strategy for dissecting and modulating neural circuits. Although optogenetics offers high spatiotemporal neuronal manipulation with cell-type specificity, its reliance on visible light (400-650 nm) limits tissue penetration to millimeter depths, restricting applications in deep-brain stimulation. Here we report a near-infrared-II (NIR-II)-sensitive calcium channel, HaloNeu, created by genetically fusing a circularly permuted HaloTag (cpHaloTag) to the thermo-sensitive transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and covalently conjugating NIR-II photothermal nanotransducers (HPN). The HaloNeu enables non-invasive neuromodulation at depths up to 1.0 cm at ultralow laser power (∼60 mW/cm 2 ) and up to 5.0 cm under the safe exposure limit (∼1 W/cm 2 ) with 1064 nm laser illumination. Remarkably, HaloNeu maintains stable, on-demand neuron-specific modulation for over two months in vivo , providing sustained activation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) circuits and effective alleviation of Parkinsonian symptoms in mouse models. These results establish HaloNeu as a robust and versatile platform for cell-type-specific, deep-tissue, and chronic neuromodulation, with broad implications for neuroscience and neurotherapeutics.