Researchers at South Korea's Institute for Basic Science (IBS) are in the very early stages of development of hardware that utilizes nanoparticles to control the minds of mice. It is a brain remote control that they claimed is "long-range" and "large-volume" and switches using magnetic fields.
According to the "science experts," the technology dubbed Nano-MIND (Magnetogenetic Interface for NeuroDynamics), allowed researchers to control the emotions and appetites of mice from afar and could be used to treat neurological disorders like depression. They tested the "innovation" by inducing "maternal" instincts in their female test subjects. In another test, the researchers exposed a test group of lab mice to magnetic fields designed to reduce appetite, leading to a 10-percent loss in body weight, or about 4.3 grams.
The scientists manipulated a complex network of over 100 billion neurons by magnetically twisting a tiny actuator to pull or push nanoparticles implanted in the mice's brains. According to studies, this network is crucial for understanding cognition, emotion and social behavior.
"This is the world's first technology to freely control specific brain regions using magnetic fields," said Dr. Cheon Jinwoo, director of South Korea's IBS Center, who helped spearhead the new effort. "We expect it to be widely used in research to understand brain functions, sophisticated artificial neural networks, two-way brain-computer interface technologies, and new treatments for neurological disorders."
There have been numerous "mind control" experiments on animals over the years, the Sun reported, "But this is the first that hasn't involved invasive surgery and bulky external systems, which has instead allowed mice the freedom of movement."
In an op-ed that came with the said study published in Nature Nanotechnology, senior scientist at Spain's Instituto de Neurociencias Dr. Felix Leroy said that the concept of using magnetic fields to manipulate biological systems has been well established. "It has been applied in various fields," he noted, "like in magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], transcranial magnetic stimulation and magnetic hyperthermia for cancer treatment."
However, he cautioned against rushing too soon to human testing. "Further studies are needed to assess potential cumulative effects, including neuroadaptation or neurotoxicity," Leroy advised.
A nanoparticle is a small particle that ranges between one to 100 nanometres in size, which is undetectable by the human eye and even smaller than the wavelengths of visible light which are between 400 and 700 nanometres. A special electron microscope or microscope with lasers is needed to observe them. Studies involving nanoparticles are branches of nanotechnology that is famously relied upon by the fictional Marvel character Tony Stark, aka Iron Man.
Korean, U.S. scientists create a brain implant that could be controlled using a smartphone
In a separate effort by South Korea and the United States, supported by grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Mallinckrodt Professorship, another innovation was tested to control the brain. A soft neural implant, capable of delivering multiple drugs and color lights, was discovered to manipulate neural circuits using a smartphone.
In the study that was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the researchers said the tiny implant is the first wireless neural device capable of speeding up efforts to uncover brain diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, addiction, depression and pain.
"The wireless neural device enables chronic chemical and optical neuromodulation that has never been achieved before," said lead author Raza Qazi, a researcher with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder.
Co-author Michael Bruchas, a professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine and pharmacology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said this technology allowed them to better dissect the neural circuit basis of behavior "and how specific neuromodulators in the brain tune behavior in various ways," he said. "We are also eager to use the device for complex pharmacological studies, which could help us develop new therapeutics for pain, addiction, and emotional disorders."
The device uses Lego-like replaceable drug cartridges and powerful Bluetooth low-energy to deliver drugs and light to specific neurons of interest.
According to the scientists, this technology significantly overshadows conventional neuroscience methods, which usually involve rigid metal tubes and optical fibers. Though some efforts have addressed adverse tissue response by incorporating soft probes and wireless platforms, the previous solutions were limited by their inability to deliver drugs for long periods as well as their bulky and complex control setups.
Controlled with a simple user interface on a smartphone, the device can create a specific combination or precise sequencing of light and drug deliveries in any implanted target animal without the need to be inside the laboratory. With this device, researchers could easily set up fully automated animal studies where the behavior of one animal could positively or negatively affect behavior in other animals by conditional triggering of light and/or drug delivery.
"This revolutionary device is the fruit of advanced electronics design and powerful micro and nanoscale engineering," said Jae-Woong Jeong, a professor of electrical engineering at KAIST. "We are interested in further developing this technology to make a brain implant for clinical applications." (Related: Neuralink receives FDA approval to implant brain chip in second patient.)
FutureScienceNews.com has more stories similar to this.
Sources for this article include:
Please contact us for more information.
