One of the biggest challenges when it comes to probing and manipulating the brain are the blunt tools we have at our disposal. But breakthroughs in nanotechnology could soon change that, say researchers.
Neuroscience has experienced a technological revolution in the last couple decades thanks to rapid improvements in brain-machine interfaces and groundbreaking new methods like functional magnetic resonance imaging, which makes it possible to track neural activity across the whole brain, or optogenetics, which makes it possible to control individual neurons with light.
But despite this progress, we are still a long way from being able to record or stimulate large parts of the brain at the single-neuron level. Being able to do so could have profound implications on our understanding of the brain, as well as our ability to augment its function and treat disease.
The key to bridging this gap is the emerging field of “NanoNeuro,” say the authors of a new paper in Nature Methods. The unique properties and diminutive size of nanomaterials could make it possible to probe neural circuits in entirely new ways and at previously unimaginable scales, the researchers write.
The most obvious application of nanotechnology is in simply reducing the size of the standard neuroscience toolbox. A host of recent designs for nanoprobes and nanoelectrodes, often exploiting the same processes that have powered the miniaturization of computer chips, are making it possible to record from orders of magnitude more neurons.
These probes often come with other desirable properties too, such as flexibility, optical functionality, or chemical sensing. Other materials such as quartz, carbon nanotubes, and graphene are also being experimented with and each have their own unique properties.
Perhaps most importantly, these tiny electrodes open the door to probing neural activity at the sub-cellular level. Given the powerful processing that goes on within neurons, this could significantly improve our understanding of critical aspects of brain function.
Nanotechnology isn’t just about making things smaller, though. Physics operates on very different principles when you get down to the scale of atoms and molecules, which means nanomaterials can have exotic properties that enable entirely new functionality.
For example, plasmonic nanoparticles have unique optical properties that can be easily tuned by simply varying their size and shape. These particles could be used to boost the sensitivity of existing optogenetic approaches, say the authors, and using light to excite and heat them up could also make it possible to trigger neurons to fire with very high precision.
Even smaller “quantum dots”—nanoparticles that emit light in various colors when energy is applied to them—are a more durable and sensitive alternative to fluorescent dyes currently used for imaging. Their fluorescence is also modulated by electric fields, so they could potentially be used to give an optical readout on the activity of neurons.
Another promising class of nanoparticles can absorb multiple low-energy electrons and convert them into a high-energy one. Researchers have used these so-called “upconverting nanoparticles” to let mice see in infrared by injecting them into the animals’ retinas, where they translate incoming signals into visible light.
Potentially the most powerful application, though, could come from magnetic nanoparticles. The human body is almost entirely unaffected by magnetic fields, which makes it possible to send them deep into biological tissue with little impact. Nanoparticles that can convert magnetic fields into stimuli that trigger neurons could be a powerful tool to modulate brain activity.
There’s still a long way to go, according to the authors….
News
Advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment
A comprehensive review in "Biofunct. Mater." meticulously details the most recent advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment. This paper presents an exhaustive overview of subtype-specific nanostrategies, the clinical benefits [...]
It’s Not “All in Your Head”: Scientists Develop Revolutionary Blood Test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A 96% accurate blood test for ME/CFS could transform diagnosis and pave the way for future long COVID detection. Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics have created a highly accurate [...]
How Far Can the Body Go? Scientists Find the Ultimate Limit of Human Endurance
Even the most elite endurance athletes can’t outrun biology. A new study finds that humans hit a metabolic ceiling at about 2.5 times their resting energy burn. When ultra-runners take on races that last [...]
World’s Rivers “Overdosing” on Human Antibiotics, Study Finds
Researchers estimate that approximately 8,500 tons of antibiotics enter river systems each year after passing through the human body and wastewater treatment processes. Rivers spanning millions of kilometers across the globe are contaminated with [...]
Yale Scientists Solve a Century-Old Brain Wave Mystery
Yale scientists traced gamma brain waves to thalamus-cortex interactions. The discovery could reveal how brain rhythms shape perception and disease. For more than a century, scientists have observed rhythmic waves of synchronized neuronal activity [...]
Can introducing peanuts early prevent allergies? Real-world data confirms it helps
New evidence from a large U.S. primary care network shows that early peanut introduction, endorsed in 2015 and 2017 guidelines, was followed by a marked decline in clinician-diagnosed peanut and overall food allergies among [...]
Nanoparticle blueprints reveal path to smarter medicines
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the delivery vehicles of modern medicine, carrying cancer drugs, gene therapies and vaccines into cells. Until recently, many scientists assumed that all LNPs followed more or less the same blueprint, [...]
How nanomedicine and AI are teaming up to tackle neurodegenerative diseases
When I first realized the scale of the challenge posed by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), I felt simultaneously humbled and motivated. These disorders are not caused [...]
Self-Organizing Light Could Transform Computing and Communications
USC engineers have demonstrated a new kind of optical device that lets light organize its own route using the principles of thermodynamics. Instead of relying on switches or digital control, the light finds its own [...]
Groundbreaking New Way of Measuring Blood Pressure Could Save Thousands of Lives
A new method that improves the accuracy of interpreting blood pressure measurements taken at the ankle could be vital for individuals who are unable to have their blood pressure measured on the arm. A newly developed [...]
Scientist tackles key roadblock for AI in drug discovery
The drug development pipeline is a costly and lengthy process. Identifying high-quality "hit" compounds—those with high potency, selectivity, and favorable metabolic properties—at the earliest stages is important for reducing cost and accelerating the path [...]
Nanoplastics with environmental coatings can sneak past the skin’s defenses
Plastic is ubiquitous in the modern world, and it's notorious for taking a long time to completely break down in the environment - if it ever does. But even without breaking down completely, plastic [...]
Chernobyl scientists discover black fungus feeding on deadly radiation
It looks pretty sinister, but it might actually be incredibly helpful When reactor number four in Chernobyl exploded, it triggered the worst nuclear disaster in history, one which the surrounding area still has not [...]
Long COVID Is Taking A Silent Toll On Mental Health, Here’s What Experts Say
Months after recovering from COVID-19, many people continue to feel unwell. They speak of exhaustion that doesn’t fade, difficulty breathing, or an unsettling mental haze. What’s becoming increasingly clear is that recovery from the [...]
Study Delivers Cancer Drugs Directly to the Tumor Nucleus
A new peptide-based nanotube treatment sneaks chemo into drug-resistant cancer cells, providing a unique workaround to one of oncology’s toughest hurdles. CiQUS researchers have developed a novel molecular strategy that allows a chemotherapy drug to [...]
Scientists Begin $14.2 Million Project To Decode the Body’s “Hidden Sixth Sense”
An NIH-supported initiative seeks to unravel how the nervous system tracks and regulates the body’s internal organs. How does your brain recognize when it’s time to take a breath, when your blood pressure has [...]
