Futuristic Brain Probe Allows for Wireless Control of Neurons

Science Brain Problem

 

Mind bending probe: scientists used soft materials to create a brain implant a tenth the width of a human hair that can wirelessly control neurons with lights and drugs. Courtesy of Jeong lab, University of Colorado Boulder. Scientists have developed an ultra-thin, minimally invasive device for controlling brain cells with drugs and light. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, created a remote controlled, next-generation tissue implant that allows neuroscientists to inject drugs and shine lights on neurons deep inside the brains of mice. The revolutionary device is described online in the journal Cell. Its development was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health. A study has shown that scientists can wirelessly determine the path a mouse walks with a press of a button.

“It unplugs a world of possibilities for scientists to learn how brain circuits work in a more natural setting,” says Michael R. Bruchas, Ph.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and neurobiology at Washington University School of Medicine and a senior author of the study.

The Bruchas lab studies circuits that control a variety of disorders, including stress, depression, addiction, and pain. Typically, scientists who study these circuits have to choose between injecting drugs through bulky metal tubes and delivering lights through fibre optic cables. Both options require surgery that can damage parts of the brain and introduce experimental conditions that hinder animals’ natural movements.

To address these issues, Jae-Woong Jeong, Ph.D., a bioengineer formerly at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, worked with Jordan G. McCall, Ph.D., a graduate student in the Bruchas lab, to construct a remote controlled, optofluidic implant. The device is made out of soft materials that are a tenth the diameter of a human hair and can simultaneously deliver drugs and lights.

“We used powerful nano-manufacturing strategies to fabricate an implant that lets us penetrate deep inside the brain with minimal damage,” said John A. Rogers, Ph.D., professor of materials science and engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a senior author. “Ultra-miniaturized devices like this have tremendous potential for science and medicine.”

With a thickness of 80 micrometers and a width of 500 micrometers, the optofluidic implant is thinner than the metal tubes, or cannulas, scientists typically use to inject drugs. When the scientists compared the implant with a typical cannula they found that the implant damaged and displaced much less brain tissue.
The scientists tested the device’s drug delivery potential by surgically placing it into the brains of mice. In some experiments, they showed that they could precisely map circuits by using the implant to inject viruses that label cells with genetic dyes. In other experiments, they made mice walk in circles by injecting a drug that mimics morphine into the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a region that controls motivation and addiction.

The researchers also tested the device’s combined light and drug delivery potential when they made mice that have light-sensitive VTA neurons stay on one side of a cage by commanding the implant to shine laser pulses on the cells. The mice lost the preference when the scientists directed the device to simultaneously inject a drug that blocks neuronal communication. In all of the experiments, the mice were about three feet away from the command antenna.

“This is the kind of revolutionary tool development that neuroscientists need to map out brain circuit activity,” says James Gnadt, Ph.D., program director at the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). “It’s in line with the goals of the NIH’s BRAIN Initiative.”

The researchers fabricated the implant using semi-conductor computer chip manufacturing techniques. It has room for up to four drugs and has four microscale inorganic light-emitting diodes. They installed an expandable material at the bottom of the drug reservoirs to control delivery. When the temperature on an electric heater beneath the reservoir rose, the bottom rapidly expanded and pushed the drug out into the brain.

“We tried at least 30 different prototypes before one finally worked,” says Dr. McCall.

“This was truly an interdisciplinary effort,” says Dr. Jeong, who is now an assistant professor of electrical, computer, and energy engineering at University of Colorado Boulder. “We tried to engineer the implant to meet some of neuroscience’s greatest unmet needs.”

In the study, the scientists provide detailed instructions for manufacturing the implant.

“A tool is only good if it’s used,” says Dr. Bruchas. “We believe an open, crowdsourcing approach to neuroscience is a great way to understand normal and healthy brain circuitry.”

This work was supported by grants from NIH (NS081707, DA037152, DA038752, MH101956), US Department of Energy (DE-FG02-07ER46471, DE-FG02-07ER46453), Department of Defense National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship.

For more information, visit: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Reference
Jeong et al. “Wireless Optofluidic Systems for Programmable In Vivo Pharmacology and Optogenetics,” Cell, July 16, 2015. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.06.058

Source: National Institutes for Health, http://www.nih.gov/

 

 

Related Articles


Changing Scene

  • LEDucation 2024 – Concluded with Record-Breaking Attendance

    The LEDucation Trade Show and Conference, organized by the Designers Lighting Forum New York, wrapped 2024 with record-breaking attendance, welcoming more than 10,000 registrants from all aspects of the lighting industry. LEDucation celebrated its 18th year in New York City March 19–20 at the New York Hilton Midtown, becoming North America’s largest annual lighting industry… Read More…

  • Part 1: How Many Studies Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?

    March 18, 2024 How studies in vision inform lighting standards at Night By Noah Sabatier Changing a light bulb in our home is perhaps the most simple task in which we can still credit ourselves for performing household maintenance. The amount of thought such an operation receives rarely extends beyond looking for the most efficient… Read More…


Design

  • Case Study: Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) with Salex SW

    Case Study: Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) with Salex SW

    February 6, 2024 Since 1940, WFCU Credit Union is a prominent and forward-thinking financial institution based in Windsor and Essex County. For over 80 years, WFCU has been dedicated to serving Ontario residents, community, organizations, small businesses, commercial entities, and public institutions. Their new headquarters in Kitchener was created as they continue to grow their… Read More…

  • Coaticook Suspended Footbridge: An Ever-Changing Luminous Canvas, Painted by Nature

    Coaticook Suspended Footbridge: An Ever-Changing Luminous Canvas, Painted by Nature

    December 5, 2023 At 170 m (554 ft) long and 50 m (160 ft) high, the Coaticook Canyon Bridge at Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook is one of the longest suspension footbridges in North America and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Eastern Townships. For several years, the Parc de la… Read More…


New Products

  • Liteline ORBIT 2″ Gimbal Recessed Fixture

    The ORBIT is a 5 watt 2″ gimbal recessed light fixture for retrofit applications, with 360° rotation and 80° tilt. It is a high-performance, easy to install downlight solution that offers good light output, energy-efficiency and streamlined design. Suitable for wet locations and ideal for vaulted ceiling and soffit installations. BodyDurable aluminum body with 360°… Read More…

  • Acclaim Lighting Introduces All-Weather Terra Drum with Multiple Color Options

    Acclaim Lighting introduces the Terra Drum series, rugged, all-weather inground, drive-over ready rated fixtures designed for recessed façade and tree lighting applications.  Available in 15-, 30- and 60-watt versions, Terra Drums have a drive-over rating of up to 6,000 lbs. (2,721kg). They are offered in 2400K, 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4000K, Dynamic White (2700K-6000K), Quad Spectrum… Read More…