Patent ID: 9629911
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: A61K,A61N,C07K,C12N,G01N

Claim:
1. A method of restoring light sensitivity to a cell in a retina that has reduced light sensitivity, the method comprising administering to an eye comprising the retina an effective amount of a synthetic regulator, wherein the cell expresses a polypeptide that is regulated by the synthetic regulator, wherein the synthetic regulator has the structure A-B-C, wherein: a) A comprises a binding moiety that provides for covalent linkage to the polypeptide; b) B is a photoisomerizable group selected from an azobenzene, an azobenzene derivative, a spiropyran, a spiropyran derivative, triphenyl methane, a triphenyl methane derivative, 4,5-epoxy-2-cyclopentene, a 4,5-epoxy-2-cyclopentene derivative, fulgide, a fulgide derivative, thioindigo, diarylethene, a diarylethene derivative, diallylethene, a diallylethene derivative, an overcrowded alkene, and an anthracene; and c) C comprises a ligand that binds to a ligand-binding site of the polypeptide, wherein, upon exposure of the cell to a wavelength of light that induces photoisomerization of B, said photoisomerization of B results in a change in the binding of the ligand to the ligand-binding site, and thereby confers light sensitivity to the cell.