New in Artificial Tech: Lab-Grown Neurons That Imitate Human Cells

by Monica Joshi

Artificial technology has long captured our attention, insofar as it may be able to replace, or at least put less pressure on, organic materials that are available in limited quantities. But, lab-grown blood, miniature brains, and breast tissue just isn't enough for scientists. They are now creating an artificial neuron that, surprisingly, functions like the real thing.

The fake cell manages to manages to capture the fundamental signal-transmitting function of neurons and can communicate with real human cells. What's even more astonishing? This is all possible in the absence of any living parts.

Neurons, or nerves, are specialized cells whose role is to process and transmit information to other cells. They release chemical signals, or neurotransmitters, to communicate with each other across a small intercellular gap known as a synapse. These chemicals are then taken up by the adjoining cell and converted into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is known as an action potential (AP). The AP then propagates along the neuron’s spindly axon. When the AP reaches the other end, the electrical signal is once again converted into a chemical signal that gets released across the synapse, ready to trigger the entire process again.

The fascinating artificial neuron, described in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, describes the ways in which scientists at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet used conductive molecules, or polymers, to build the neuron, so that it mimics the process of a synapse. The scientists connected enzyme-based biosensors to organic bioelectronics. The sensors then picked up chemical changes in their surrounding environment, induced by the researchers, which were then translated into an electrical signal by an electronic pump that controls the flow of charged ions, much like the channels that exist across neuronal membranes. Finally, the electrical signal is turned back into a chemical signal, involving the release of a neurotransmitter in a different dish, which can then act on human cells.

Lead researcher Agneta Richter-Dahlfors said in a statement that:

“We foresee that in the future, by adding the concept of wireless communication, the biosensor could be placed in one part of the body, and trigger the release of neurotransmitters at distant locations. Using such auto-regulated sensing and delivery, or possibly a remote control, new and exciting opportunities for future research and treatment for neurological disorders can be envisaged.”

With further development and miniaturization, the researchers believe that these cells could have a place outside the laboratory. They could even be potentially used in the human body, given ample time to complete the experiment phase of their research.

There is way more to the idea behind this synthetic neuron than simply proving that it can be done. In the future, it might be possible to use these neurons in patients to replace damaged nerves. They could use these to help treat injury or disease. They may also have a place in the prosthetics industry, as surgeons may be able to use them as a bridge between a person’s tissue and an artificial limb, since these neurons could allow for greater control of movement.

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