Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41212991›Full record

ReviewAnnual review of physiology2026

Interrogating Physiological Functions with Light and Chemicals.

Tianlu Wang, Kai Zhang, Yubin Zhou

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Annual review of physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. AI-GuidedJournal of the American Chemical Society · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Tianlu WangCenter for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, Texas, USA.
Kai ZhangDepartment of Biochemistry, Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, and Cancer Center of Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA; email: kaizkaiz@illinois.edu.
Yubin ZhouCenter for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, Texas, USA.

Funding

NanoOptogenetic immunotherapy for B cell lymphomaR01CA232017 · NCI · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI HAN, GANG, ZHOU, YUBIN · 2019 to 2023
$2.2M
Engineering Smart Antibody-like Protein Scaffolds with precision switchesR01GM144986 · NIGMS · TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CTR · PI ZHOU, YUBIN · 2022 to 2025
$1.3M
Synthetic biology toolkit for precise tuning of T cell activityR21AI174606 · NIAID · TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CTR · PI ZHOU, YUBIN · 2023 to 2024
$417k
Optogenetic toolkit for precise control of organellar calcium signalingR21GM145063 · NIGMS · TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CTR · PI ZHOU, YUBIN · 2022 to 2023
$413k
Selective targeting of a Rho GTPase mutant for peripheral T cell lymphoma treatmentR21CA277257 · NCI · TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CTR · PI ZHOU, YUBIN · 2023 to 2024
$392k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA232017NCI NIH HHS R21 CA277257NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI174606NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM144986NIGMS NIH HHS R21 GM145063
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Optogenetics and chemogenetics have transformed how physiologists interrogate biological systems by enabling precise control over protein activity and cellular function. Optogenetics uses light-sensitive proteins for rapid and localized control, while chemogenetics employs small molecules to trigger or block specific pathways with systemic and sustained effects. These tools have advanced research in areas such as brain function, heart rhythm, immune response, and gene regulation. They have been applied to disease models that include epilepsy, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, immunoinflammatory disorders, and cancer. Clinical applications are emerging, such as optogenetic therapies for vision restoration and chemogenetic safety switches in engineered immune cells. In this review, we categorize these tools by their mechanisms of action, compare their advantages and limitations, and discuss strategies to improve their precision, efficiency, and translational capability. As these technologies continue to evolve, they offer powerful approaches to dissect complex physiological processes and drive innovative therapeutic interventions.

Indexed as

LightOptogeneticsAnimalsHumanschemogeneticsimmunotherapyoptogeneticssignal transductionsynthetic biologytherapeutics

Identifiers

PMID41212991
PMCPMC13152683

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.