Focused lasers to investigate injury responses in neurons and glial cells

Laser-based techniques offer powerful tools for studying the complex cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and neuroprotection. Laser scissors enable the precise induction of axonal injury, allowing investigation into axonal degenerative processes and evaluation of potential neuroprotective treatments. Laser scissors can also be utilized to kill a single cell and monitor the response in nearby astrocytes. For example, using this method, we found that a single-cell death can be disruptive to spontaneous calcium activity in surrounding cells. Additionally, focused lasers can be utilized to induce cavitation bubbles that produce shockwaves and subject cells to conditions like those experienced during a blast-induced traumatic brain injury. This allows us to have a window into the immediate cellular responses to traumatic brain injury and investigate potential mechanisms that may be targeted to mitigate damage. Laser-induced shockwaves have allowed us to study calcium signaling in response to nearby injury and determine that the immediate calcium response differs between cells that die and stay alive.