Graphene brain implants to treat NDGs
Researchers from the University of Trieste, Italy, and the Cambridge Graphene Centre, UK, have demonstrated how graphene, when left in an untreated state, can be used as an interface with neurons in the human brain without compromising their integrity.
Professor Laura Ballerini, of the University of Trieste, said: “For the first time we interfaced graphene to neurons directly. We then tested the ability of neurons to generate electrical signals known to represent brain activities, and found that the neurons retained their neuronal signalling properties unaltered. This is the first functional study of neuronal synaptic activity using uncoated graphene-based materials.”
Graphene continues to provide scientists with pioneering applications; in this case, electrodes could prove beneficial – even groundbreaking – in the treatment of numerous neurodegenerative diseases (NDGs) including Parkinson’s and epilepsy.
Professor Andrea Ferrari, director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre, said: “These initial results show how we are just scratching the tip of an iceberg when it comes to the potential of graphene and related materials in bio-applications and medicine.”
The Trieste-Cambridge partnership’s task from here is in continuing to improve the integration of graphene-based electrodes with the neurons. They are the first team of researchers to do so succesfully without causing damage to the brain tissue and their results have been published in ACS Nano.
