Researchers at the Institute of Basic Science (IBS) and Yonsei University in South Korea have developed Nano MIND, the world’s first device to modulate deep brain neural circuits using magnetism.
Magnetogenetic Interface for NeuroDynamics (MIND), the device could unlock future brain functions such as emotions, cognition, and even motivation.
Over millions of years of evolution, the human brain has developed into a complex network of neurons that can process large amounts of tasks in a highly efficient manner. Startups like Elon Musk’s Neuralink are keen to tap into this network and unlock the brain’s immense processing power to carry out certain functions.
However, the human brain is also the center of complex functions such as emotion, social behavior, and cognition. These functions have been difficult to replicate in artificial intelligence and vary between humans.
A research team led by Jinwoo Cheon, a professor of biochemistry at Yonsei University, was keen to know if these functions could be precisely controlled using wireless technology.
Magnetism – a tested approach
Medical science is no stranger to using magnetic fields for imaging purposes. Unlike technologies like X-rays, magnetic fields can penetrate tissues without any risk of harm from exposure. This is why scientists have attempted to control brain circuits with magnetism. However, they have yet to achieve much success.
To overcome these issues, the researchers at IBS and Yonsei University used magnetized nanoparticles to activate areas of the brain and their associated circuits selectively.
Using selective expressions of nanomagnetic particles by rotating magnetic fields at precise moments, the researchers achieved spatiotemporal control of neural activity – they could specifically target areas at desired time intervals to gain only intended functions.
The researchers worked with mice as models for their studies and achieved phenomenal results.
The researchers demonstrated their technology by selectively activating GABA receptors in the brain’s medial preoptic area (MPOA), which is responsible for the inhibitory control of appetite in mice and rats.
Using their approach, the team was able to activate the inhibitory neurons of the pathway, which increased feeding behavior and appetite by 100 percent in the mice tested. When the GABA receptor was activated, feeding behavior dropped to 50 percent, and the researchers observed a reduction in appetite in the mice.
Not just eating behavior, the technology was also successful in modulating the behavior of mice that have never been mothers. When activated, these mice showed nurturing behavior to pups. They brought them to their nests, something that only mice who are mothers do.
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The experiments demonstrate that the Nano-MIND technology can not only be used selectively but can also be safely applied to increase and decrease brain functions.
“This is the world’s first technology to control specific brain regions using magnetic fields freely,” said Jinwoo Cheon, the director of the Center of Nanomedicine at IBS.
“We expect it to be widely used in research to understand brain functions, sophisticated artificial neural networks, two-way BCI technologies, and new treatments for neurological disorders.”
Ameya Paleja Ameya is a science writer based in Hyderabad, India. A Molecular Biologist at heart, he traded the micropipette to write about science during the pandemic and does not want to go back. He likes to write about genetics, microbes, technology, and public policy.
