Thanks to a new technique that combines genetic and light, called optogenetics, a team of researchers from the Neuroscience Program of the Champalimaud Foundation, coordinated by Zachary Mainen, could not only confirm that the serotonima, a molecule produced in brain, decreases sensitivity to pain – something he already suspected – but also validate the use of this new technique in studies of the brain. The findings were published today in the journal PLoS One.
“The key point of our study is to validate this new methodology in research on the brain,” he told DN Zachary Mainen, stressing that from here “opens the possibility of applying the study of other issues related to this same molecule, such as emotions, learning or movement, which is what we are already doing.”
Popularly known as the molecule of well-being, or happiness, serotonin is primarily produced by the Nucleus Raphe, a group of cells located in deep area of the brain, and is involved in several brain functions ranging from the control of sleep and appetite , by the regulation of emotional behavior complex. However, there is still much that is not known about this molecule, so this new approach also opens up other perspectives of study.
To get here, the researchers introduced a light-sensitive protein in the cells that produce serotonin in the nucleus Rafe, in mice, and to make them focus on a spotlight had found that serotonin production.
“We have taken another step in understanding the physiological role of this molecule,” says Zachary Mainen, noting here also that open new possibilities for therapeutic approach against pain, which might become reality “within 10-20 years.”
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