CPSR researchers use light to restore function in brain circuits damaged by stroke

I would like to see a writeup of how this could possibly work in humans. Maybe shining light thru nanoneedles? Followup needed which will never occur.
http://www.canadianstroke.ca/en/news/cpsr-researchers-use-light-to-restore-function-in-brain-circuits-damaged-by-stroke/
A University of Victoria neuroscientist and his team has discovered that stimulating brain circuits with light can improve recovery from a stroke.
A major challenge in stroke research is to understand how stroke disrupts brain circuits that are crucial for sensation and movement. When these circuits are damaged by stroke, people experience profound difficulties in everyday life tasks such as lifting a fork, brushing their teeth, buttoning up a shirt or driving a car.
Dr. Brown’s neurobiology research lab is providing new clues in pre-clinical research as to what happens to these circuits after stroke and developed a treatment strategy for enhancing recovery.
“What we’ve found is that stroke makes certain circuits in a brain region called the thalamus, less active or excitable. These circuits are important for processing sensory information, for example allowing us to grasp an object in our hand. However when a stroke occurs, these circuits are disrupted and do not properly process sensory information in a normal way.”
In order to make these circuits work properly after a stroke, Dr. Brown’s team used an “optogenetic” strategy where brain cells that express an algae protein can be controlled with blue light. “When brain cells express this protein, we can flash light on them and make them excitable again”. As it turns out, stimulating these circuits with light for several weeks after stroke allowed experimental animals to regain better use of their paw.
“Although this is just a first step in developing a new approach for treating stroke, we are really excited about the possibility that one day it may be used in the clinic. The fact that clinical trials are in the works to use optogenetics to treat blindness and other neurological conditions, suggest it is possible.
The study’s results were published June 23, in Nature Communications.
For more information on Brown and his research is available here.
Pictured above: UVic Professor Dr. Craig Brown, right, and Dr. Kelly Tennant, left. Dr. Tennant is a former co-chair of the CPSR National Trainee Association. 
Link to publication: 

Tennant KA, Taylor SL, White ER, Brown CE. Optogenetic rewiring of thalamocortical circuits to restore function in the stroke injured brain.

Nat Commun. 2017 Jun 23;8:15879. doi: 10.1038/ncomms15879.

Prototype ‘nanoneedles’ generate new blood vessels in mice, paving the way for new regenerative medicine

We need this to support neurogenesis and possible stem cells in our damaged brain areas. When is your doctor going to start up clinical trials on this in humans? If your doctor isn't setting up clinical trials call the hospital president and ask why s/he hasn't given those goals to the stroke department head. We have to be the squeaky wheel here because if we don't raise our voices nothing will get done and your grandchildren will have just as bad a recovery as you did. Pay it forward please.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=151199&CultureCode=en
Imperial College London and Houston Methodist Research Institute Joint News Release
Scientists have developed tiny ‘nanoneedles’ that have successfully prompted parts of the body to generate new blood vessels, in a trial in mice.
The researchers, from Imperial College London and Houston Methodist Research Institute in the USA, hope their nanoneedle technique could ultimately help damaged organs and nerves to repair themselves and help transplanted organs to thrive.
The nanoneedles work by delivering nucleic acids to a specific area. Nucleic acids are the building blocks of all living organisms and they encode, transmit and express genetic information.  Scientists are currently investigating ways of using nucleic acids to re-program cells to carry out different functions.
The nanoneedles are tiny porous structures that act as a sponge to load significantly more nucleic acids than solid structures. This makes them more effective at delivering their payload. They can penetrate the cell, bypassing its outer membrane, to deliver nucleic acids without harming or killing the cell. The nanoneedles are made from biodegradable silicon, meaning that they can be left in the body without leaving a toxic residue behind. The silicon degrades in about two days, leaving behind only a negligible amount of a harmless substance called orthosilicic acid.
In a trial described in Nature Materials, the team showed they could deliver the nucleic acids DNA and siRNA into human cells in the lab, using the nanoneedles. They also showed they could deliver nucleic acids into the back muscles in mice. After seven days there was a six-fold increase in the formation of new blood vessels in the mouse back muscles, and blood vessels continued to form over a 14 day period. The technique did not cause inflammation or other harmful side effects.
The hope is that one day scientists will be able to help promote the generation of new blood vessels in people, using nanoneedles, to provide transplanted organs or future artificial organ implants with the necessary connections to the rest of the body, so that they can function properly with a minimal chance of being rejected.
“This is a quantum leap compared to existing technologies for the delivery of genetic material to cells and tissues,” said Ennio Tasciotti, Co-Chair, Department of Nanomedicine at Houston Methodist Research Institute and co-corresponding author of the paper. “By gaining direct access to the cytoplasm of the cell we have achieved genetic reprogramming at an incredible high efficiency. This will let us personalize treatments for each patient, giving us endless possibilities in sensing, diagnosis and therapy. And all of this thanks to tiny structures that are up to 1,000 times smaller than a human hair.”
Professor Molly Stevens, co-corresponding author from the Departments of Materials and of Bioengineering at Imperial College London, said: “It is still very early days in our research, but we are pleased that the nanoneedles have been successful in this trial in mice. There are a number of hurdles to overcome and we haven’t yet trialled the nanoneedles in humans, but we think they have enormous potential for helping the body to repair itself.”  
The researchers are now aiming to develop a material like a flexible bandage that can incorporate the nanoneedles. The idea is that this would be applied to different parts of the body, internally or externally, to deliver the nucleic acids necessary to repair and reset the cell programming.
Dr Ciro Chiappini, first author of the study from the Department of Materials, added: “If we can harness the power of nucleic acids and prompt them to carry out specific tasks, it will give us a way to regenerate lost function. Perhaps in the future it may be possible for doctors to apply flexible bandages to severely burnt skin to reprogram the cells to heal that injury with functional tissue instead of forming a scar. Alternatively, we may see surgeons first applying the nanoneedle bandages inside the affected region to promote the healthy integration of these new organs and implants in the body. We are a long way off, but our initial trials seem very promising.”