Light targets cells for death and triggers immune response with laser precision.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new method of targeting specific cells for death using light. This technique, called optogenetics, involves inserting a light-activated gene into cells and using blue light to trigger the activation of a protein that regulates cell death. By inducing inflammatory cell death rather than directly killing the cell, the immune system is activated, releasing chemicals that attract white blood cells to attack threats. While the current application is limited to tissues near the skin, further studies in mice will be conducted to explore the potential of this technique in cancer and inflammatory diseases. [Extracted from the article]