Prototype of an electronic neuron
Swedish scientists have created an artificial nerve cell
Lyudmila Bozhko, RIA Novosti
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute, taking advantage of the possibilities of organic bioelectronics, have created a functional artificial nerve cell that is able to simulate human nerve cells and communicate with them in the same way as they do with each other in a normal "live" mode. This was announced on Wednesday by the press service of the Swedish Karolinska Research Medical Institute (Artificial neuron mimicks function of human cells - VM) in connection with the publication of the work of scientists in the international scientific journal Biosensors & Bioelectronics (Simon et al., An organic electronic biomimetic neuron enables auto-regulated neuromodulation – VM).
Scientists, explaining the essence of the invention and the principle of operation of their device, noticed that human nerve cells are isolated from each other and communicate using chemical signals called signaling substances or neurotransmitters. In a nerve cell, scientists continue, signaling substances turn into electrical impulses that travel across the cell membrane until they reach the other end of the cell. Then the electrical signal is converted into a chemical signal, which is transmitted further to the next cell.
Today, electrical stimulation is used to influence the connection between human nerve cells.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute, in collaboration with colleagues from another Swedish university – the University of Linkoping, have developed, in particular, a small organic bioelectronic component that can detect chemical signals and then transmit them further to human cells.
Here and below are the frames from the YouTube video– VM.
"Our artificial nerve cell consists of conductive polymers – forms of plastic that conducts electricity. An artificial cell, in the same way as human neurons, detects changes in a chemical signal, which is then converted into an electrical signal. With the help of electronic software, the signal is sent further to the right place, where it is converted into a chemical signal that affects the next cell," said Agnetha Richter–Dahlfors, one of the leaders of the study, Professor of cellular microbiology, commenting on the results of the analysis in a press release.
Scientists hope that their research will be able to improve the treatment of those neurological diseases that today depend on the traditional method of electrical stimulation of nerve cells.
"So far, our artificial nerve cell is relatively large, but with the help of modern nanotechnology, its size can be reduced and eventually made an implant that can be installed in a patient," Richter–Dahlfors said.
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25.06.2015