Projektbeschreibung
Intelligente Neuroimplantate gegen Epilepsie
Um adäquate Behandlungsmöglichkeiten für neurologische Störungen wie Epilepsie entwickeln zu können, muss gesichertes Wissen über die Funktionsweise der Nervenzellen und die Kommunikation im Gehirn vorliegen. Mit der neu entwickelten Methode der Optogenetik ist inzwischen die Modulation der neuronalen Aktivität mithilfe von Licht möglich. Doch wegen offener technischer Herausforderungen kann die Technik noch nicht vollumfänglich in klinischen Studien zu Hirnerkrankungen zum Einsatz kommen. Im EU-finanzierten Projekt WiseCure sollen nun Neuroimplantate aus flexiblen biokompatiblen Polymeren entwickelt werden, die für eine optogenetische Behandlung von Epilepsie geeignet sind. Mit dieser Technik lässt sich die neuronale Aktivität über die Implantate drahtlos überwachen und steuern, sodass sich hier eine intelligente Gesundheitslösung zur Behandlung von Epilepsie bietet.
Ziel
This WiseCure Fellowship aims to bring novel wireless, scalable, MRI-compatible, and bio-integrated neural implants for optogenetics to treat epilepsy. Neurological diseases such as epilepsy is a life-threatening progressive disorder causing uncontrolled activity of the brain (seizure). The ability to decipher brain functions and understand the neuronal communication networking properties to develop innovative solutions to treat neurological diseases remains one of the biggest challenges to date. A recent approach to study the brain is optogenetics. Optogenetics is a neural modulation technique which utilizes light to stimulate genetically engineered neurons, providing a better option for controlling the cells compared to conventional electrical stimulation. Scientists pursuing optogenetic therapies still face some technical challenges (e.g. size and multifunctional capability, biointegration, wireless capability, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) compatibility) that keeping optogenetics from clinical trials for brain diseases. I will combine the innovative wireless power transfer (WPT) approaches with ultrathin, soft and flexible biocompatible polymeric platforms to fabricate and characterize neural implants that are small enough to promote scalability, chronic reliability, and MRI compatibility. By associating the ability to wirelessly monitor (e.g. neural activities) and control (stimulation or inhibition) through these neural implants using a smartphone establishes a novel approach for versatile optogenetics to treat epilepsy. This Fellowship will act as a platform to realize my futuristic vision by integrating the wireless optogenetics system into smart healthcare using mobile and electronic technology for better diagnosis of the brain diseases, improved treatment of the patients, and enhanced quality of lives.
Wissenschaftliches Gebiet
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurologyepilepsy
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsmobile phones
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imagingmagnetic resonance imaging
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsradio technology
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants
Schlüsselbegriffe
Programm/Programme
Thema/Themen
Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung
Andere Projekte für diesen Aufruf anzeigenFinanzierungsplan
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Koordinator
G12 8QQ Glasgow
Vereinigtes Königreich