What if technological advances could revolutionize the treatment of brain diseases? Yves De Koninck and Marie-Ève Paquet, pioneers in optogenetics, are working in this direction.
Yves de Koninck, Full Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, and Marie-Ève Paquet, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, are specialists in the field of optogenetics, a revolutionary technology that combines genetic engineering and optics to treat brain disorders. Pr De Koninck, principal investigator at the Canadian Optogenetics and Vectorology Foundry, and Pre Paquet, co-principal investigator, lead a team supported by the Brain Canada Foundation. Their aim is to develop light-sensitive proteins which, once introduced into the brain, can precisely stimulate specific cells to restore their function, while reducing the side effects of conventional treatments.
Such an approach could also be used to effectively relieve chronic pain by providing targeted relief similar to an epidural. This approach, already used for certain eye diseases and pain relief, could soon be applied to conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Pre Paquet points out that although therapeutic applications are already in development, challenges remain, including primate testing and scaling up research.
Thanks to funding from the Brain Canada Foundation, the team has produced over 1,300 viral vectors and sent them to more than 250 laboratories worldwide. These vectors are essential for optogenetic research and have generated over 120 scientific publications. The platform also gives researchers around the world rapid access to the tools they need to advance their projects. It has also contributed to the creation of companies such as Bliq Photonique, which develops specialized equipment for neuroscience research.
Their work, supported by the Brain Canada Foundation, is advancing innovation in neuroscience and paving the way for new targeted therapies for brain diseases, while democratizing access to these cutting-edge technologies.
