The implant, built by Swiss researchers so as to resemble living tissue, was placed directly onto the spinal cord of paralysed rats. Its success has opened new therapeutic possibilities for people paralysed after a spinal injury.
Page 1 of 4
The flexible implants, which work for months, have been developed by a team at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). But applying this method to humans would require multifunctional implants which could be installed for long periods of time on the spinal cord without causing any tissue damage.
Professors Stephanie Lacour and Gregoire Courtine have developed an e-Dura implant designed specifically for implantation on the surface of the brain or spinal cord. The small device closely imitates the mechanical properties of living tissue and can simultaneously deliver electric impulses and pharmacological substances.
For the time being, the e-Dura implant has been primarily tested in cases of spinal cord injury in paralysed rats. But the potential for applying these surface implants is huge - for example in epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and pain management.Scientists are planning to move towards clinical trials in humans, and to develop their prototype in preparation for commercialization.
The risks of rejection and/or damage to the spinal cord have been drastically reduced. Flexible and stretchy, the implant developed at EPFL is placed beneath the dura mater, directly onto the spinal cord. Its elasticity and its potential for deformation are almost identical to the living tissue surrounding it. This reduces friction and inflammation to a minimum. When implanted into rats, the e-Dura prototype caused neither damage nor rejection, even after two months.
More rigid traditional implants would have caused significant nerve tissue damage during this period of time. The researchers tested the device prototype. Not only did the implant prove its biocompatibility, it also did its job perfectly, allowing the rats to regain the ability to walk on their own again after a few weeks of training.
"Our e-Dura implant can remain for a long period of time on the spinal cord or the cortex, precisely because it has the same mechanical properties as the dura mater itself," said Lacour. "This opens up new therapeutic possibilities for patients suffering from neurological trauma or disorders, particularly individuals who have become paralysed following spinal cord injury." Developing the e-Dura implant was quite a feat of engineering. As flexible and stretchable as living tissue, it nonetheless includes electronic elements that stimulate the spinal cord at the point of injury. The silicon substrate is covered with cracked gold electric conducting tracks that can be pulled and stretched. The electrodes are made of an innovative composite of silicon and platinum microbeads. They can be deformed in any direction, while still ensuring optimal electrical conductivity. Finally, a fluidic microchannel enables the delivery of pharmacological substances - neurotransmitters in this case - that will reanimate the nerve cells beneath the injured tissue.
The implant can also be used to monitor electrical impulses from the brain in real time. When they did this, the scientists were able to extract with precision the animal's motor intention before it was translated into movement.
Stay updated on the go with The Times of India's mobile apps. Click here to download it for your device.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
An elastic spine implant helps paralysed rats walk
Dengan url
http://pijitwajah.blogspot.com/2015/01/an-elastic-spine-implant-helps_13.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
An elastic spine implant helps paralysed rats walk
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
An elastic spine implant helps paralysed rats walk
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar