Human stem cells used to create new type of biohybrid neural implant
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a new type of neural implant that combines stem cells with electronics and has the potential to help amputees or those who’ve lost the use of their limbs.
The device’s key ingredient is induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), adult cells – usually skin or blood cells – that have been reprogrammed in a lab to become like embryonic stem cells, which can develop into any other type of cell. The researchers used iPSCs to create myocytes, the cells that are the building blocks of skeletal muscles. It’s the first time iPSCs have been used in a living organism in this way.
The iPSCs were arranged in a grid on microelectrode arrays (MEAs) so thin that they can attach to the end of a nerve. This generated a layer of myocytes that sat between the device’s electrodes and the living tissue. The researchers then implanted the biohybrid device into rats for testing.
Compared with the control group, researchers found that the device integrated with the rat’s body and prevented the formation of scar tissue. Further, the iPSC-derived cells survived for four weeks following implantation, the first time that cells have survived an extended experiment of this kind.
The device will require further research and extensive testing before being used on humans, but it represents a promising development in neural implants. The researchers are working on optimizing the device and improving its scalability.
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