Researchers Direct Growth of Neurons With Silicon Nitride Microtubes

MTorrice writes: Bioengineers want to connect electronics and neurons to make devices such as new cochlear implants or prosthetic limbs with a seemingly natural sense of touch. They also could build synthetic neural circuitry to use to study how the brain processes information or what goes wrong in neurodegenerative diseases.

As a step toward these applications, a team of researchers has developed a way to direct the growth of axons, the connection-forming arms of neurons. They use transparent silicon nitride microtubes on glass slides to encourage the cells' axons to grow in specific directions. The cultured nerve cells grow aimlessly until they bump into one of the tubes. The axon then enters the tube, and its growth is accelerated 20-fold. Silicon nitride already is used in some orthopedic devices, and could serve as a substrate for electronics to interface with the growing neurons.

Comments

well that's literal mind rape

[Anonymous Coward]

I for one thank our scientific overlords for embracing the dark side. Don't even pretend not to be evil, guys.

Well, it's a well known fact,

[Anonymous Coward]

Neurons respond consistently to SiN.

Re:Well, it's a well known fact,

[Mr D from 63]

Not discussed in the summary, but possibly one of the most beneficial potential uses states in the source;

The UW Medical Center’s Shain sees a potential therapeutic application for the tubes: helping axons grow across long distances to repair injuries. In the body, neurons typically won’t grow past a scar. With further development, these microtubes could be used to rebuild severed nerve bundles, he says.

BTW, cool video in the source.

Re:Well, it's a well known fact,

[Anonymous Coward]

That sounds really great for helping people with traumatic brain injuries recover.

I'm so confused

[Anonymous Coward]

this wasn't 3D printed, so how can it be the future?

Re:I'm so confused

[Anonymous Coward]

Guess you missed the Climate Change angle.

Re:I'm so confused

[Anonymous Coward]

Is this research funded with Bitcoin somehow? Why is this interesting?

Shitposting

[Anonymous Coward]

Personally, I never shit post, but when I need to talk about something it doesn't matter what the original post is.

Re:FRIST PSOT!

[Anonymous Coward]

congratulation

just gimme an orgasm swtich

[Anonymous Coward]

So i can go flip flip flip flip flipip flip flip flip.

Sunday morning

[Anonymous Coward]

the AC's rule!!

Another development brought to you by SkyNet

[operator_error]

SkyNet: Self-aware since August 29, 1997.

sounds like emulating natural neuron repair

[v1]

Wikipedia has a pretty thorough description of the process of neuroregneration, which it sounds like they're trying to emluate here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N... :

Neuroregeneration in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) occurs to a significant degree.[5] Axonal sprouts form at the proximal stump and grow until they enter the distal stump. The growth of the sprouts is governed by chemotactic factors secreted from Schwann cells (neurolemmocytes). Injury to the peripheral nervous system immediately elicits the migration of phagocytes, Schwann cells, and macrophages to the lesion site in order to clear away debris such as damaged tissue. When a nerve axon is severed, the end still attached to the cell body is labeled the proximal segment, while the other end is called the distal segment. After injury, the proximal end swells and experiences some retrograde degeneration, but once the debris is cleared, it begins to sprout axons and the presence of growth cones can be detected. The proximal axons are able to regrow as long as the cell body is intact, and they have made contact with the Schwann cells in the endoneurial channel. Human axon growth rates can reach 2 mm/day in small nerves and 5 mm/day in large nerves.[4] The distal segment, however, experiences Wallerian degeneration within hours of the injury; the axons and myelin degenerate, but the endoneurium remains. In the later stages of regeneration the remaining endoneurial tube directs axon growth back to the correct targets. During Wallerian degeneration, Schwann cells grow in ordered columns along the endoneurial tube, creating a band of Büngner (boB) that protects and preserves the endoneurial channel. Also, macrophages and Schwann cells release neurotrophic factors that enhance re-growth.

Great explanation of how patients can experience partial to total return of motor and sensory function following an injury that severs nerves.

also they have a very impressive article on neurons themselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... - great reading for anyone interested in science/biology

I bet this works great

[penguinoid]

for neurons growing on glass slides.

Re:I bet this works great

[wierd_w]

Which is good enough if you are wanting to build hybrid wetware robots, like the rather famous "ratbot" from 2002.

http://www.technologyreview.co...

More interesting to me, is that these nanotubes seem to replace the myelin sheath on white matter neurons. If these researchers can make suitably long tubes out of this material they could 3d print the entire neuroconnective tissue of a larger neural structure, then grow grey matter outside that, like a normal brain is wired up. The artificial interface would be in the guided whitematter formations.

This could theoretically be used for some very interesting research.

Great for patient with neurogenic bladders

[modmans2ndcoming]

With the ability to grow a new bladder for patients born with small and poorly compressing bladders: source We may not have the ability to get these bladders fully functioning using this new technology. The biggest hurdle has been getting nerves to connect to the bladders so they can be used voluntarily and without the use of a catheter.

Re:FRIST PSOT!

[Anonymous Coward]

You may direct your modbombs at this asshole. AKA the guy posting all this yippee bullshit. Doesn't even bother hiding it. Can we just ban his account already since he only spams?