This artificial neuron could replace a real nerve cell

Made up of a tiny electronic chip, this artificial neuron represents an alternative solution for chronic diseases of the spinal cord or heart.

According to the scientists who designed it, the microchip would be almost identical to nerve cells in the human body. Consuming very little energy, the device could be used in the manufacture of implants combating, among other things, Alzheimer's disease. The device was presented in an article in the journal Nature Communications.

An artificial neuron as complex as in nature

To transmit information from the brain to the organs and vice versa, nerve cells useelectrical impulses. But for this, they must first convert the mechanical and physical signals sent by the body through ion channels.

This complex process has long remained a mystery, making it impossible to design a artificial neuron. Not anymore. In fact, the researchers were able to reproduce the properties of two types of cells: those responsible for memory and those responsible for respiration.

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How did they create this synthetic nerve cell?

Scientists have equipped each chip with synthetic ion channels that can generate the electrical signals needed to transmit information. To design them, they compared the signals emitted by their invention with those produced by the nerve cells of rats. In this way, they developed a model capable of recreating the impulses recorded on real cells.

For now, the chip only works as a single artificial neuron, despite its (relatively) large size. In addition, it cannot yet communicate with other nerve cells. Indeed, the latter use an extensive network of ramifications called dendrites to pass signals.

According to the researchers, their device will require the addition of a second unit electronics to play the role of these dendrites. If we can hope to one day implant this kind of chip in the body of a patient, we will still have to find solutions to these problems.

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