SCIENTISTS SAY NEW MATERIAL CAN RECONNECT SEVERED NERVES
Published in Brain Activity, Brain/Neurology, Tech News, Tools.
n news that could be significant for patients with brain or nerve issues, researchers at Rice University have developed a new material that they say can stimulate neural tissue in a less invasive manner than previous treatments, and also allow nerve signals to flow again despite a severed connection.
The research team at Rice says they’ve developed a magnetoelectric material, meaning it converts magnetic fields into electric fields. Doctors have long pondered whether such a biomedical material could help patients suffering from brain and nerve problems, but previous experiments on magnetoelectrics had a difficult time making neurons react to the converted electrical signal.
“We asked, ‘Can we create a material that can be like dust or is so small that by placing just a sprinkle of it inside the body you’d be able to stimulate the brain or nervous system?’” asked lead researcher Joshua Chen, a Rice doctoral alumnus, in a statement about the research. “With that question in mind, we thought that magnetoelectric materials were ideal candidates for use in neurostimulation. They respond to magnetic fields, which easily penetrate into the body, and convert them into electric fields — a language our nervous system already uses to relay information.”
Using rats as experimental subjects, according to a study published in the journal Nature Materials, the researchers were able to spark neurons to “restore a sensory reflex” and also allowed neural signals to flow again despite a severed nerve. In addition, they say the new material converts magnetic fields to electric fields 120 times faster than previous candidates.
https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-new-material-reconnect-severed-nerves