LucCell, Inc. is a medical and research development company whose goal is to develop innovative technology for the research community as well as potential treatments for psychiatric diseases. LucCell's innovative technology combines viral delivery methods with light activated proteins and cell-type specific genomic information to control brain circuitry and cellular signaling. LucCell's unique advantage will be the ability to validate these tools using sophisticated physiological, molecular, and imaging techniques. We will create viruses that contain cell-type specific promoters/enhancers in combination with light activated proteins for cell-type specific expression of the light activated protein of choice. Our initial effort will be aimed at controlling presynaptic serotonergic circuitry in the brain. This allows us to switch on or off serotonin neurons precisely, quickly and controllably by exposure to light. This approach was recently named a "Method to Watch" in a feature called "Method of the Year" (Nature Methods 5, 23 (2008)). Using this approach we will be able to produce research tools that will enable researchers to enhance their understanding of cellular function, particularly in neuronal circuits. The unique LucCell products are not available from any other source.
Public Health Relevance: The LucCell products will enable researchers to enhance their understanding of cellular function, particularly in neuronal circuits, and second will enable clinicians to control serotonin levels in humans. Drugs controlling serotonin levels in the brain are currently the main medications in anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and depression. These drugs are frequently ineffective or carry a considerable side-effect burden. Thus, LucCell's technology promises a wholly novel approach to treatment of these diseases.
Thesaurus Terms: 3-(2-Aminoethyl)-1h-Indol-5-Ol; 5-Ht; 5-Hydroxytryptamine; 5ht; Adverse Effects; Aggression; Aggressive Behavior; Alimentary Canal; Animals; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Appetite; Arrhythmia; Aspiration, Respiratory; Behavior; Behavior Conditioning Therapy; Behavior Modification; Behavior Therapy; Behavior Treatment; Behavior Or Life Style Modifications; Behavioral Conditioning Therapy; Behavioral Modification; Behavioral Therapy; Behavioral Treatment; Biomedical Research; Brain; Brain Diseases; Brain Disorders; Breathing; Cardiac Arrhythmia; Cell Communication And Signaling; Cell Function; Cell Process; Cell Signaling; Cell Physiology; Cells; Cellular Function; Cellular Physiology; Cellular Process; Code; Coding System; Colitis, Mucous; Colon, Irritable; Communities; Conditioning Therapy; Coupled; Depression; Desire For Food; Development; Development And Research; Digestive Tract; Disease; Disorder; Dorsal; Drug Controls; Drugs; Dysfunction; Ec Cell; Ets Domain; Emotions; Encephalon; Encephalon Diseases; Encephalons; Endocrine; Enhancers; Enteramine; Enterochromaffin; Enterochromaffin Cells; Exposure To; Functional Disorder; G-Protein Signaling Pathway; G-Proteins; Gi Tract; Gtp-Binding Proteins; Gtp-Regulatory Proteins; Gastrointestinal Tract; Gastrointestinal Tract Structure; Gated Ion Channel; Genes; Genetic Alteration; Genetic Change; Genetic Defect; Genomics; Goals; Guanine Nucleotide Coupling Protein; Guanine Nucleotide Regulatory Proteins; Halorhodopsin Chromoprotein; Halorhodopsins; Heart Arrhythmias; Hippophaine; Human; Human, General; Idiopathic Parkinson Disease; Imaging Procedures; Imaging Techniques; In Vitro; Infection; Inhalation; Inhaling; Inspiration, Respiratory; Intracellular Communication And Signaling; Intracranial Cns Disorders; Intracranial Central Nervous System Disorders; Investigators; Ions; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Lentivirinae; Lentivirus; Lewy Body Parkinson Disease; Life Style Modification; Light; Mammals, Mice; Man (Taxonomy); Man, Modern; Marketing; Medical Research; Medication; Medulla Spinalis; Membrane Potentials; Mental Depression; Mental Disorders; Mental Health Disorders; Methods; Mice; Moods; Murine; Mus; Muscle; Muscle Tissue; Mutation; Names; Nature; Nerve Cells; Nerve Transmitter Substances; Nerve Unit; Nervous System, Brain; Neural Cell; Neurocyte; Neurons; Neurotransmitters; Normal Cell; Organ; Organ System; Paralysis Agitans; Parkinson; Parkinson Disease; Parkinson's; Parkinson's Disease; Parkinsons Disease; Pathway Interactions; Pattern; Pharmaceutic Preparations; Pharmaceutical Agent; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pharmaceuticals; Pharmacologic Substance; Pharmacological Substance; Photoradiation; Physiologic; Physiological; Physiology; Physiopathology; Primary Parkinsonism; Principal Investigator; Programs (Pt); Programs [publication Type]; Promoter; Promoters (Genetics); Promotor; Promotor (Genetics); Property; Property, Loinc Axis 2; Proteins; Psychiatric Disease; Psychiatric Disorder; R & D; R&D; Regulation; Regulatory Element; Regulatoryelement; Reporter Genes; Research; Research Personnel; Researchers; Rest; Resting Potentials; Rhodopsin; Role; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Disorders; Serotonergic Agents; Serotonergic Drugs; Serotonin; Serotonin Agents; Serotonin Drugs; Signal Transduction; Signal Transduction Systems; Signaling; Signaling Pathway From G-Protein Families; Sleep; Source; Spinal Cord; Subcellular Process; Subfamily Lentivirinae; System; System, Loinc Axis 4; Technics, Imaging; Technology; Transmembrane Potentials; Treatment Side Effects; Unspecified Mental Disorder; Viral; Virus; Virus-Lenti; Viruses, General; Visual Purple; Adult Animal; Alimentary Tract; Base; Behavior Influence; Behavior Intervention; Behavioral Influence; Behavioral Intervention; Biological Signal Transduction; Body System; Brain Control; Cell Type; Dementia Praecox; Design; Designing; Digestive Canal; Disease/Disorder; Drug/Agent; Experiment; Experimental Research; Experimental Study; Feeding; Gene Product; Genome Mutation; In Vivo; Innovative Technologies; Inspiration; Light Gated; Mature Animal; Mental Illness; Mind Control; Molecular Imaging; Neuronal; Neuronal Excitability; New Approaches; Novel Approaches; Novel Strategies; Novel Strategy; Pathophysiology; Pathway; Presynaptic; Programs; Protein Expression; Psychological Disorder; Public Health Relevance; Research And Development; Research Study; Response; Schizophrenic; Side Effect; Social Role; Spastic Colon; Therapy Adverse Effect; Tool; Transcription Factor; Transgene Expression; Treatment Adverse Effect
