Control a brain remotely with a tiny implant

A team of American researchers has developed a tiny wireless implant, which once implanted in the brain is capable of delivering drugs and affecting behavior. The goal ? Treat certain dysfunctions like epilepsy.

The creation of this implant is part of the part of a new area of ​​research in neuroscience: Optogenetics. This method makes neurons sensitive to light and stimulates a cell type, or a particular area of ​​the brain, without acting on others, in order to be able to map neural networks. No bigger than a human hair, the device developed is controlled by a remote control and has been tested on mice.

The results of this study were published on July 16 on the website of the journal Cell. "Now we can literally deliver medical treatment at the press of a button“Says Jordan G. McCall, graduate student at the Bruchas Laboratory. Thanks to nanofabrication techniques, the implants created are able to penetrate deep into the brain minimizing damage.

Treat neurological dysfunctions

During the experiment, a drug was injected from a side of a mouse brain. This action stimulated the neurons responsible for movement, and made the animal turn in a circle. The purpose of these brain implants may be to find a way to treat diseases like epilepsy, Parkingson, depression and other neurological dysfunctions, focusing on specific areas of the brain.

Right now, only four drugs could be delivered by the implant. Ultimately, researchers hope to incorporate a design resembling an ink cartridge, like that of printers, so that drugs can continue to be delivered to specific cells in the brain or elsewhere in the body. All this for as long as necessary, without having to change the entire device.

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