title: Inducing repetitive action potential firing in neurons via synthesized photoresponsive nanoscale cellular prostheses.
abstract: Recently we reported an analysis that examined the potential of synthesized photovoltaic functional abiotic nanosystems (PVFANs) to modulate membrane potential and activate action potential firing in neurons. Here we extend the analysis to delineate the requirements on the electronic energy levels and the attendant photophysical properties of the PVFANs to induce repetitive action potential under continuous light, a capability essential for the proposed potential application of PVFANs as retinal cellular prostheses to compensate for loss of photoreceptors. We find that repetitive action potential firing demands two basic characteristics in the electronic response of the PVFANs: an exponential dependence of the PVFAN excited state decay rate on the membrane potential and a three-state system such that, following photon absorption, the electron decay from the excited state to the ground state is via intermediate state(s) whose lifetime is comparable to the refractory time following an action potential.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In this study, the potential of synthetic photovoltaic functional abiotic nanosystems (PVFANs) is examined under continuous light to modulate membrane potential and activate action potential firing in neurons with the proposed potential application of PVFANs as retinal cellular prostheses.
authors: Departments of Physics and Ophthalmology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0241, USA. siyuanlu@usc.edu
authors: Siyuan
authors: S
authors: Lu
authors: Anupam
authors: A
authors: Madhukar
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D058045:Artificial Cells / Q000737:chemistry*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*