With the help of light, scientists look to treat bladder problems

A CT SCAN OF A RAT WITH THE DEVICE AROUND ITS BLADDER. (GEREAU LAB / WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY)

Scientists have developed a tiny implant that’s designed to detect overactivity in the bladder and curb the urge to urinate. Patients with overactive bladders are often treated with devices that stimulate the nerve that controls the bladder, but those implants can cause side effects. In new research on rats published in Nature, researchers implanted a device that contains little lights and stretches around the bladder. They also injected proteins that made cells in the bladder sensitive to light. They used optogenetics — which uses light to control cells — to flip the cells on or off. When the bladder is emptying too often, the band’s lights turn on, curbing the activity of the bladder’s cells. The device still needs to be studied more before it might be tested in people.