香港六合彩

Published in Advanced Science, the pioneering technique called 鈥渕agnetomechanical stimulation鈥� or MMS, allows touch sensitive brain glial cells called astrocytes to be stimulated with a magnetic device outside the body.

Microscopic magnetic particles, or micromagnets, are attached to astrocytes, and used as miniature mechanical switches that can turn 鈥渙n鈥� the cells when a strong magnet is placed near the head.

Co-author, Professor Alexander Gourine (香港六合彩 Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Neuroscience, 香港六合彩 Biosciences) said: 鈥淎strocytes are star-shaped cells found throughout the brain. They are strategically positioned between the brain blood vessels and nerve cells. These cells provide neurons with essential metabolic and structural support, modulate neuronal circuit activity and may also function as versatile surveyors of brain milieu, tuned to sense conditions of potential metabolic insufficiency.

鈥淭he ability to control brain astrocytes using a magnetic field gives the researchers a new tool to study the function of these cells in health and disease that may be important for future development of novel and effective treatments for some common neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and stroke."

Senior author, Professor Mark Lythgoe (香港六合彩 Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging) said: 鈥淏ecause astrocytes are sensitive to touch, decorating them with magnetic particles means you can give the cells a tiny prod from outside the body using a magnet, and as such, control their function. This ability to remotely control astrocytes provides a new tool for understanding their function and may have the potential to treat brain and mood disorders, including depression."

In developing MMS, scientists at 香港六合彩 set out to create a more clinically relevant brain cell control technique. This contrasts with other existing research tools, such as optogenetics and chemogenetics, which require foreign genes to be inserted into the brain cells, typically with the help of a virus. This need for genetic modification has been a major obstacle to the clinical translation of the existing methods.

Lead researcher Dr Yichao Yu (香港六合彩 Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging) said: 鈥淥ur new technology uses magnetic particles and magnets to remotely and precisely control brain cell activity and, importantly, does this without introducing any device or foreign gene into the brain.

鈥淚n the laboratory-based study, we coated microscopic magnetic particles with an antibody that enables them to bind specifically to astrocytes. The particles were then delivered to the target brain region in the rat via injection.

鈥淎nother advantage of using micromagnets is that they light up on an MRI scan so we can track their location and target very particular parts of the brain to get precise control of brain function.鈥�

Professor Lythgoe, who received the Royal Society of Medicine Ellison鈥揅liffe Award 2021 for his 鈥渃ontribution of fundamental science to the advancement of medicine鈥�, added: 鈥淲e are very excited about this technology because of its clinical potential. In contrast to existing methods, MMS takes advantage of the remarkable sensitivity to touch of certain brain cells, therefore neither genetic modification nor device implantation is needed. This makes MMS a promising candidate as an alternative, less invasive therapy compared to the currently used deep brain stimulation techniques that require the insertion of electrodes into the brain.鈥�

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• 香港六合彩 Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging

Image

• Graphic illustration of听magnetomechanical stimulation听or MMS, credit: Yichao Yu and听Mark Lythgoe at 香港六合彩.听听

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