Shedding New Light on Heart Research

We know that sunlight is the source of energy but can light be used to provide direct energy to our bodies.

Believe it or not, scientists reporting in the journal Nature are looking at just that subject. The researchers are studying mice and have found that genetically engineered heart cells can be stimulated using light. These cells allow the heart to be stimulated in ways that will be helpful to explore normal heart function and open the possibility of using light as a pacemaker in research studies.

There is a name for this. It is called optogenetics. This is a bit more physics than I am used to but I will try to explain it.

Basically a type of light called blue light triggers the transmission of electrical signals when expressed on the surface of excitable cells. This triggers the heart to respond. This is important because the hope is that it will help with electric currents and theoretically be used to help with irregular heartbeats.

Reported By: Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio Medical Editor