A team of researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has developed light-activated derivatives of the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine to treat neuropathic pain.
Light can be harnessed to target drugs to specific body areas using photopharmacology. This technique modifies the drug’s chemical structure by incorporating a light-sensitive molecular switch, like azobenzene. As a result, the drug becomes active only under exposure to certain light wavelengths, remaining inactive in the dark.
Based on these principles, a team of researchers led by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has developed photoswitchable derivatives of carbamazepine, an anti-epileptic drug widely used in medicine to combat some types of neuropathic pain, such as trigeminal neuralgia. These compounds, which have an analgesic effect when activated by light, are able to inhibit nerve signals locally and on demand. The derivatives synthesized by the researchers are activated at wavelengths corresponding to the amber color, which allows them to pass through tissue and bone using conventional halogen lamps.
The two synthesized compounds, carbazopine-1, and carbadiazocine, show photopharmacological activity, allowing the activity of hippocampal neurons and the locomotion of zebrafish larvae to be reversibly controlled by light. These in vivo experiments make it possible to observe anxiety-related behaviors reflected in sudden swimming movements. IBEC researcher Luisa Camerin, the first author of the study, explains: “When we illuminate larvae that have uptaken these compounds with a certain wavelength, the drug is activated and the larvae move faster. If we change the wavelength, their movement slows down again, demonstrating the reversible effect of the compound on the nervous system.
Pain Management Innovations
Carbadiazocine has also been shown to have analgesic properties: “In rat models developed in the laboratory of Esther Berrocoso at the University of Cadiz, we have observed that carbadiazocine has an analgesic effect on neuropathic pain without any signs of anesthesia, sedation or toxicity. These results demonstrate a simple and convincing treatment with non-invasive illumination,” explains Pau Gorostiza, ICREA research professor, principal investigator at IBEC, and member of CIBER-BBN.
Zebrafish larvae. Credit: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC)
Neuropathic pain is caused by lesions or diseases of the somatosensory system, such as lumbar radiculopathy (“sciatica”), diabetic neuropathy, and chronic post-operative pain. The treatment of this type of pain often requires opioids, which are stronger analgesics than the usual NSAIDs – such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. However, their use is controversial due to their inconsistent efficacy, the need for high doses that can lead to tolerance and addiction, and systemic side effects such as constipation, nausea, dizziness, and drowsiness.
In this context, light-based therapies are becoming increasingly important in medicine because of their ability to target specific regions of the body, increasing treatment efficacy and reducing the side effects of systemic drugs.
The team is already working on the next step in this project, which will involve activating drugs using infrared light, which penetrates deeper into tissue, and using portable light sources such as lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Reference: “Photoswitchable carbamazepine analogs for non-invasive neuroinhibition in vivo” by Luisa Camerin, Galyna Maleeva, Alexandre Gomila-Juaneda, Irene Suárez-Pereira, Carlo Matera, Davia Prischich, Ekin Opar, Fabio Riefolo, Esther Berrocoso and Pau Gorostiza, 18 June 2024, Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202403636
This study is part of the PHOTOTHERAPORT project, coordinated by the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC). The project is funded by the prestigious Pathfinder Open program of the European Innovation Council (EIC) and focuses on the development of luminescent implants and light-activated drugs for innovative neuromodulation therapies (HORIZON-EIC-2023 program PATHFINDEROPEN-01, no. 101130883). PHOTOTHERAPORT is a consortium of 8 institutions from 4 countries with a budget of 3 million euros over 3 years to carry out the project.
News
Nanomedicine in 2026: Experts Predict the Year Ahead
Progress in nanomedicine is almost as fast as the science is small. Over the last year, we've seen an abundance of headlines covering medical R&D at the nanoscale: polymer-coated nanoparticles targeting ovarian cancer, Albumin recruiting nanoparticles for [...]
Lipid nanoparticles could unlock access for millions of autoimmune patients
Capstan Therapeutics scientists demonstrate that lipid nanoparticles can engineer CAR T cells within the body without laboratory cell manufacturing and ex vivo expansion. The method using targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs) is designed to deliver [...]
The Brain’s Strange Way of Computing Could Explain Consciousness
Consciousness may emerge not from code, but from the way living brains physically compute. Discussions about consciousness often stall between two deeply rooted viewpoints. One is computational functionalism, which holds that cognition can be [...]
First breathing ‘lung-on-chip’ developed using genetically identical cells
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and AlveoliX have developed the first human lung-on-chip model using stem cells taken from only one person. These chips simulate breathing motions and lung disease in an individual, [...]
Cell Membranes May Act Like Tiny Power Generators
Living cells may generate electricity through the natural motion of their membranes. These fast electrical signals could play a role in how cells communicate and sense their surroundings. Scientists have proposed a new theoretical [...]
This Viral RNA Structure Could Lead to a Universal Antiviral Drug
Researchers identify a shared RNA-protein interaction that could lead to broad-spectrum antiviral treatments for enteroviruses. A new study from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), published in Nature Communications, explains how enteroviruses begin reproducing [...]
New study suggests a way to rejuvenate the immune system
Stimulating the liver to produce some of the signals of the thymus can reverse age-related declines in T-cell populations and enhance response to vaccination. As people age, their immune system function declines. T cell [...]
Nerve Damage Can Disrupt Immunity Across the Entire Body
A single nerve injury can quietly reshape the immune system across the entire body. Preclinical research from McGill University suggests that nerve injuries may lead to long-lasting changes in the immune system, and these [...]
Fake Science Is Growing Faster Than Legitimate Research, New Study Warns
New research reveals organized networks linking paper mills, intermediaries, and compromised academic journals Organized scientific fraud is becoming increasingly common, ranging from fabricated research to the buying and selling of authorship and citations, according [...]
Scientists Unlock a New Way to Hear the Brain’s Hidden Language
Scientists can finally hear the brain’s quietest messages—unlocking the hidden code behind how neurons think, decide, and remember. Scientists have created a new protein that can capture the incoming chemical signals received by brain [...]
Does being infected or vaccinated first influence COVID-19 immunity?
A new study analyzing the immune response to COVID-19 in a Catalan cohort of health workers sheds light on an important question: does it matter whether a person was first infected or first vaccinated? [...]
We May Never Know if AI Is Conscious, Says Cambridge Philosopher
As claims about conscious AI grow louder, a Cambridge philosopher argues that we lack the evidence to know whether machines can truly be conscious, let alone morally significant. A philosopher at the University of [...]
AI Helped Scientists Stop a Virus With One Tiny Change
Using AI, researchers identified one tiny molecular interaction that viruses need to infect cells. Disrupting it stopped the virus before infection could begin. Washington State University scientists have uncovered a method to interfere with a key [...]
Deadly Hospital Fungus May Finally Have a Weakness
A deadly, drug-resistant hospital fungus may finally have a weakness—and scientists think they’ve found it. Researchers have identified a genetic process that could open the door to new treatments for a dangerous fungal infection [...]
Fever-Proof Bird Flu Variant Could Fuel the Next Pandemic
Bird flu viruses present a significant risk to humans because they can continue replicating at temperatures higher than a typical fever. Fever is one of the body’s main tools for slowing or stopping viral [...]
What could the future of nanoscience look like?
Society has a lot to thank for nanoscience. From improved health monitoring to reducing the size of electronics, scientists’ ability to delve deeper and better understand chemistry at the nanoscale has opened up numerous [...]
