Valkee Proves Their Point
Valkee is a Finnish technology company that has enjoyed a very controversial ride in the last year as people have questioned it for scientific backing regarding its claims. Valkee has created a device that shines light into the ear - somewhat like mobile music player where music is replaced by light. Today, Valkee has announced scientific findings to back their initial claims.
The press release states that Valkee and scientists from the University of Oulu will present the new findings on human brain's photosensitivity at the Scandinavian Physiology Society Annual Meeting on August 12th to 14th. Without trying to rewrite the science here, Valkee further states that:
Their research localized the OPN3 protein – known as the light-sensitive photoreceptor protein – in all of the 18 evaluated areas of the brain. These brain areas include the core areas of serotonin and melatonin production and storage, which play key roles in mood, sleep and depression. The study shows that the human brain is sensitive to light also outside of the visual system.
Valkee launched their bright-light headset in August 2010. Back in March we announced that Valkee had sold approximately 5000 units of their product by January 2011 ramping up revenues of almost 1 million euros.
The company is financially backed by Esther Dyson, Anssi Vanjoki (former Nokia exec), Lifeline Ventures among others.
Proves What? No valid placebo test has been done!
Opsin-3 is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the OPN3 gene. Alternative splicing of this gene results in multiple transcript variants encoding different protein isoforms.
Opsins are members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. In addition to the visual opsins, mammals possess several photoreceptive non-visual opsins that are expressed in tissues outside the eye. The opsin-3 gene is strongly expressed in brain and testis and weakly expressed in liver, placenta, heart, lung, skeletal muscle, kidney, and pancreas. The gene may also be expressed in the retina. The protein has the canonical features of a photoreceptive opsin protein.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPN3
Nothing proved, yet:
Timo Partonen kuitenkin toteaa, ettei löytö vielä merkitse hoidollista tulosta, eikä sillä voi suoraan selittää korvavalohoidon vaikutustapaa.
– Emme tiedä, lievittääkö korvakäytävän kautta suunnattu kirkasvalohoito potilaiden oireita vaikuttamalla juuri OPN3-proteiinia sisältäviin soluihin vai jonkin muun vaikutusmekanismin kautta. OPN3-proteiinien rakenne viittaa siihen, että valo saattaa vaikuttaa niiden toimintaan, mutta suoraan tätä ei ole tutkimuksin osoitettu, Partonen sanoo.
– Emme myöskään vielä tiedä, mihin korvakäytävään suunnatun kirkasvalohoidon valokeila osuu ja tapahtuuko OPN3-proteiinia sisältävien solujen toiminnassa sellaista muutosta, joka johtaisi mielialan paranemiseen, korvakäytävän valottamisen seurauksena.
http://www.laakarilehti.fi/uutinen.html?opcode=show/news_id=10812/news_db=web_lehti2009/type=1