The Pros and Cons of Optogenetics

Optogenetics is a new and potential cure for all neurodegenerative diseases. It uses light to control neurons and improves the mental state of patients almost immediately! The brain 🧠 has a lot of wiring and it uses them to transmit information. Through genetically modifying neurons to be light-sensitive, we are able to control how neurons fire electrical ⚡ signals to each other. This will lead to a change in the creatures behavior, for the better or worse. However, there’s gotta be a few drawbacks to this miraculous new technology, right? In order to tell if optogenetics is as great as people say, we have to look into its pros and cons.

Source: www.nanalyze.com

The Pros: According to Kay M. Tye 👩‍🔬, an experienced American neuroscientist, optogenetics have a positive effect on the mental state that can greatly benefit those with compulsory eating. In one of her many experiments 🧪, a fully fed mouse 🐭 with a light attached to its head was put in a glass cage to simply do its thing. After turning on the light 💡, the mouse immediately began to scrounge for food 🍕. It soon escalates to the point where the mouse even pretends to be eating, even though there’s nothing in his mouth or hand!

Then when the light is turned off, the mouse goes back to normal. By silencing this pathway in the brain, stress-eating can be eliminated without affecting the natural need to eat 🤯. Optogenetics will also show similar effects in anxiety, social interactions, and avoidance. Neuroscientists hope that humans will have the same reactions, because good mental health goes a long way. John Hopkins found that by 2030, 86% of Americans could be overweight/obese 😥. If stress-related eating is no longer a cause, that percentage of Americans would drop by an enormous amount. Another thing stress causes is conflict. Have you ever been extremely frustrated with a problem and projected that anger 😡 onto someone else? Have you ever been really depressed? Well, these feelings are the root cause for millions of murder, divorce, and suicide cases worldwide! People are often caught in the moment and the end result is never considered. If we are able to prevent this extreme rush of emotion, millions of lives can be improved 😁 and thousands of disasters can be avoided. The power and potential that optogenetics hold is enormous.

Through studying the genes of algae to understand their ability of sensing light, scientists found that some of their cells are actually light-sensitive. When blue light is shown onto its eyespot, an electric signal is fired and the algae propels itself towards the sunlight. Scientists were able to transfer this feature into neurons using gene therapy and thus, optogenetics were formed.

The Cons: Although optogenetics may seem like the answer to becoming a superstar that can study without breaks and run an entire marathon, our current technology gives it two major downfalls that’ll make you think twice before doing it. According to Singularity Hub, optogenetics requires intense surgery to implant optical fibers and gene therapy. The surgery itself is a massive risk and gene 🧬 therapy is a very dangerous procedure that could have long-term effects. There may be a new technology that ignores this, but it hasn’t been tested enough and only works on mice 🐭. However, the biggest concern is an ethical one. When optogenetics is advanced enough to be done without risk or sacrifice, millions of people are likely to get them as if they were braces! Just as optogenetics can reverse depression 😔 and suicide, it also has the potential to cause it. If the control systems are ever hacked, that person will have leverage over millions of lives. Creating optogenetics is definitely a risk and the consequences are very serious.

Final Thoughts: It all comes down to this final question. Do the good 😇 effects outweigh the bad 😈? In my opinion, yes, but mainly because the risks are very low. The idea of optogenetics is extremely interesting and revolutionary, but messing with the brain comes with major ethical and safety hazards ⚠. It’s important that we acknowledge both the benefits and drawbacks before making this an available procedure for those who need it.

Main Points (pro):

• Mental health improvements which leads to Physical health 💪 improvements.
• Happier 😁 and more peaceful relationships.
• People become better and conflicts are avoided.

Main Points (con):

• Dangerous gene 🧬procedure with long-lasting effects.
• Risky implant surgery in the brain.
• The power to manipulate millions of people’s emotions.