Case Western Reserve University researchers have discovered that a hard nanocomposite probe, when implanted in a rat model’s cerebral cortex becomes as flexible as the surrounding gray matter in a few minutes ensuring that scarring does not occur as in traditional probes.
The nanocomposite probe design has been inspired by the sea cucumber’s skin, which is by nature flexible and soft but if touched becomes hard as a mechanism of self-defense.
The immune response was different unlike a metal probe and using this probe it seemed like the brain recovered faster. The research findings offer understanding of the response of the brain to the mechanical disparity between probe and tissue and have been published in the online Journal of Neural Engineering.
In order to treat and study neurological disorders, probes are used. The nanocomposite probe constitutes a network of short polymer chains connected together, rendering the material rigid, which is essential for insertion in the cortex. The mesh is such that when water is present, the mesh begins to disintegrate forming a rubbery, soft material that causes minimal damage to brain tissue over a period of time.
In order to study the impact of varying mechanical characteristics, a thin nanocomposite material layer was applied on the metal probe. Both probes were inerted into the brain, it was found that the mechanical properties varied but the chemical properties remained the same. It was found that four weeks after insertion of the probes, the neuronal nuclei density near the nanocomposite probe was more than that of the conventional probe. After eight weeks, the nuclei density around the nanocomposite probe remained the same and the nuclei density surrounding the wire probe became equal to the nuclei density surrounding the nanocomposite probe.
It was also discovered that the scar left by the flexible probe was less dense when compared to that of the metal probe. The effects of both probes are being compared for longer time intervals and testing is being done to determine more immune response indicators.
Source: http://www.case.edu