DARPA wants to shine near-infrared light into people's brains to turn drugs on and off in their bodies

DARPA is currently establishing a research program to shine near-infrared light into people's brains which, if successful, would be able to turn drugs on and off in their bodies on demand.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a special advisory regarding its Alert WARfighter Enablement (AWARE) program, which aims to increase alertness following sleep loss in humans.

American soldiers are often prescribed dextroamphetamine as a stimulant to help them stay alert after a lack of sleep, but the drug can cause anxiety, irritability or euphoria, the latter of which can lead to a addiction.

To counter this, DARPA is looking for a way to provide soldiers with a “photoswitchable” version of dextroamphetamine that remains inactive in the body until activated by the presence of near-infrared (NIR) light:

“When active, the new photoswitchable drug behaves similarly to regular dextroamphetamine (i.e., not photoswitchable)..”

Theoretically, the drug could be turned on or off with a single shot of NIR light to the head. »to facilitate detransition at the request of vigilance and make restorative sleep possible.”

And according to DARPA, “The temporal arrangement of NIR light pulses can be used to titrate the dose of activated drug over time, which can further reduce the risk of addiction and other adverse effects..”

The DARPA Special Notice describes the process as follows:

“Thanks to the non-invasive diffusion of NIR light to specific areas of the brain, the combination of a photoswitchable drug and NIR-emitting light will selectively activate regions of the prefrontal cortex responsible for executive function, working memory, and decision-making, while avoiding deep brain structures such as the amygdala and striatum, which have been implicated in alterations in mood and euphoria, respectively.”

Dr. Pedro Irazoqui, should it become a fully funded research project, will lead the AWARE program who, according to his biography, “joined DARPA in January 2024 as a program manager in the Biological Technologies Office.” Its research aims to meet the need for a more efficient combat force in extreme environments.

As a full professor at Johns Hopkins University, “Irazoqui's research focuses on the development of wearable and implantable wireless medical devices to treat various neuronal pathologies, with a particular emphasis on epilepsy.”

Last month, Neuroscience news pointed to a study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital showing how near-infrared light could help with head injuries, PTSD, depression and perhaps even autism.

According to Neuroscience news report:

“Low-level light therapy facilitates brain healing in patients with moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using a headset emitting near-infrared light, researchers observed increased brain connectivity within two weeks of treatment..”