Encased Neurons Promise Curing Epilepsy Or Multiple Sclerosis

avatar

Scientists forced neurons to build insulation or conductive structures around them. Depending on the wrap animals changed their behavior. This method of “wrap neurons” might treat many diseases that are caused by problems with neurons.

brain1845940_1920.jpg

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

There are very few types of science that have a worse reputation than genetic engineering. But synthetic biology might just be one of them Just the idea of combining something biological and alive with something synthetic and artificial makes us feel uneasy. Maybe it all goes back to Frankenstein. But the fact is that the research in the field on synthetic biology promises many new materials, drugs, and treatment procedures.

A team of American scientists led by Karl Deissenroth from Stanford University now decided to do something that might terrify laymen. They combined genetic engineering and synthetic biology and used both of these tools to affect the function of neurons in a tiny worm Caenorhabditis elegans. And they have even managed to do first tests with mammal neurons. What is promising is the fact that the mammal brain seems to handle the procedure without any harm.

Peroxide Builds A Polymer Net

The team led by Karl Deissenroth put a gene for the APEX2 enzyme into specific neurons of the main nerve center of Caenorhabditis elegans. After that, they put the worms into a bath made from a weak solution of hydrogen peroxide with either a bit of phenylenediamine or diaminobenzidine. The peroxide activated the APEX2 gene in the cells and the enzyme made because of the gene – peroxidase – started the polymerization of the phenylenediamine or diaminobenzidine molecules.

This synthesized an electrically conductive polymer wrap or an electrically insulating wrap from polydiaminobenzidine around the neurons. That led to either making the neurons more active or inhibiting them. The neurons that weren't affected by the APEX2 gene modification were unchanged and still worked the same. But the results were still visible even on the macro scale. If the worms had conductive wraps around some of the neurons they moved more intensely and when the neurons were insulated they moved less.

Watching worms in the lab might be fun for scientists but the real goal of such research is using them in mammals and mostly in humans. The first idea you might get is enhancing the neurons to create humans with “Super-brains”. But that will remain just a sci-fi thing for a long time.

But that didn't stop the scientists from trying their technique on mammals either way. First, they put the APEX 2 gene into small pieces of mouse brain tissue and exposed it to the same solution as they did with the Caenorhabditis elegans worms. The mice neurons were nice and also wrapped themselves into the conductive or insulating polymer network and they also changed their activity based on the type of the wrap.

Similarly, they managed to wrap the neurons of some lab mice. And to test whether the procedure is safe of the brain they injected the weak peroxide solution with the phenylenediamine or diaminobenzidine molecules into the mice’s brains. There was no damage into nerve tissue of the animals.

A Chance To Treat The Brain

In the first phase, Deisseroth's team intends to develop a method to treat brain diseases and brain injuries. The procedure for exciting or inhibiting neurons is intended primarily for research. Mostly, the hopes are for treating multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. During multiple sclerosis, the immune systém attacks the patients' myelin sheets that cover the neurons spurs called axons. The myelin functions as insulation and if it gets damaged by the immune systém the axon shorts just like a cable with damaged insulation and stops working. The scientists want to test if the insulating polymer could fix the damaged myelin sheet or even fully replace it.

In epilepsy, the situation is somewhat reversed. The epileptic seizers are brought upon the patient by over-excited neurons. Insulating the “crazy“ neurons with the insulating polymer could inhibit the unwanted activity of the neurons that cause the epileptic seizures getting the disease under control.

Of course, there are many other possible applications for the technology that bridges chemistry and biology. So, let us hope that scientists progress with their development as fast as possible.

Sources:


  • If you like the content I’m producing about science maybe you will like the content I produce about gaming as well! Be sure to check out my other posts!


0
0
0.000
0 comments