Here, we report the development of a red fluorescent genetically encoded GPCR (G protein-coupled receptor)-activation reporter for DA termed ‘R-GenGAR-DA’. Although genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors have been developed to detect DA, their poor selectivity prevents distinguishing DA from NE. Despite their physiological importance, untangling the relationship between DA and NE in the fine control of output function is currently challenging, primarily due to a lack of techniques to allow the observation of spatiotemporal dynamics with sufficiently high selectivity. 2017, /2017/precise-technique-tracks-dopamine-brain-0303.Dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) are pivotal neuromodulators that regulate a broad range of brain functions, often in concert. “Precise Technique Tracks Dopamine in the Brain.” MIT News, 3 Mar. “New Sensors Track Dopamine in the Brain for More than a Year.” MIT News, 12 Sept. Overall, this is a step in the right direction, but there is still more work to be done to help monitor and treat neurodegenerative diseases. To improve upon this sensor more electrodes could be added to the array to monitor a larger portion of the brain. Also, this sensor can only monitor select areas of the brain. However, longevity of the device and power supply are still problems that need to be looked at before this can happen. If the sensor is perfected, it could mean that long term devices could be implanted in the brain to monitor patients dopamine levels and adjust the treatment effectively.Also, this sensor could be used to diagnose Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases before the symptoms have worsened, leading to earlier treatment. While this device has not been tested on humans, animals trials proved that it can function for 393 days. This technology is defiantly be crucial in the advances in this field. They do so by sending a voltage through the electrodes which then causes the dopamine close to the electrode to react creating a electric current that can be measured. Now, researchers and doctors can them monitor the levels of dopamine through the electrical impulses detected by the sensor for an extended amount of time. Prior to this technology, the other sensors were too big, and the resulting immune response would create scar tissue, and skew results. The key to these probes is that the size enables them to be functional longer because they do not create an immune response. They tested it in the stratum which is the part of the brain that controls habits and reward enforced learning. Then, they are embedded in targeted areas of the brain. Their technology is made up of electrodes that are about 10 microns in diameter are then organized into patterns in groups of eight. In a fairly recent paper, engineers at MIT created a way to monitor dopamine over long periods of time. If this can be done, then doctors can find a more individualized approach to treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. First, I decided to delve into the topic of a dopamine sensor to see if there is a way to measure and monitor the amounts of dopamine in the brain.
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