RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
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- Update Date：2023-12-12
- Units：Office of International Promotion and Outreach
Graphene Neuroprobe Chips for Treating Depression: NYCU Collaboration with International Medical Materials Giant Paves the Way for Future Therapeutic Options
Simulation of the implantation of graphene neuroprobe chips in the brain.
Translated by Chia-Jung Lin
Edited by Elaine Chuang
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Edited by Elaine Chuang
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Brain stimulation therapy is emerging as a new hope for treating depression. Following the discovery that non-invasive magnetic stimulation can improve depressive behavior, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) has once again collaborated with a major international medical materials company to confirm that deep brain electrical stimulation, facilitated by graphene neuroprobe chip technology, can significantly alleviate depressive behavior in animals. This collaboration aims to contribute additional scientific evidence to support the clinical translation of this treatment technique.
Utilizing graphene neuroprobe chips for deep brain electrical stimulation proves effective in alleviating depressive symptoms.
Utilizing graphene neuroprobe chips for deep brain electrical stimulation proves effective in alleviating depressive symptoms.
Approximately one-third of depression patients in clinical settings experience treatment-resistant depression where conventional medications prove ineffective. The team from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at NYCU has developed graphene neuroprobe chips for use in animal models of depression. These chips are implanted into the nucleus accumbens to perform deep brain electrical stimulation, promoting the production of neurotrophic factors in the brain to ameliorate depressive symptoms. In comparison to the non-invasive magnetic stimulation already approved in Taiwan, this method offers a more stable and long-term treatment, reducing the risk of relapse.
The research, published in Neurobiology of Stress, focuses on the implantation of the neuroprobe in the nucleus accumbens of the brain, part of the dopamine circuit. The results not only show improved motor function and reduced depressive behavior in animal behavior but also reveal strengthened functional connections in the dopamine circuit observed through brain magnetic resonance imaging. This confirms that stimulating the nucleus accumbens can promote the generation of neurotrophic factors in the brain, thereby improving the mitochondrial dysfunction caused by depression.
The experiment shows that using probe chips with magnetic resonance imaging compatibility effectively and securely assesses the treatment.
Professor You-Yin Chen, head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at NYCU and lead researcher, emphasizes that this trial aims to elucidate the mechanism, providing a stronger scientific foundation for this treatment method. He notes that, compared to other clinically used stimulating electrode devices, the probe chip used in this trial is MRI-compatible, enabling immediate observation of the impact of deep brain electrical stimulation on multiple brain regions through three-dimensional brain imaging. This feature provides an effective and secure assessment of the treatment.
Ph.D. candidate Szu-Ju Lee, involved in the research, suggests that the negative emotions in depression may result from impaired mitochondrial function in the brain, leading to oxidative stress as neurons resort to anaerobic respiration. Following deep brain electrical stimulation in the nucleus accumbens, neuroimaging reveals activated brain regions and enhanced neural circuit connections responsible for emotional regulation. Metabolic analysis also confirms a shift toward aerobic respiration in neurons after stimulation, contributing to increased cellular energy and reduced oxidative stress.
The depression deep brain stimulation device developed by the international medical materials giant Abbott received breakthrough device designation in the United States last year. The collaboration between NYCU and Abbott aims to clarify the mechanism of deep brain electrical stimulation for treating depression, facilitate the understanding of future clinical treatment targets, optimize stimulation parameters, and develop stable and effective treatment strategies.
Professor You-Yin Chen, head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at NYCU and lead researcher, emphasizes that this trial aims to elucidate the mechanism, providing a stronger scientific foundation for this treatment method. He notes that, compared to other clinically used stimulating electrode devices, the probe chip used in this trial is MRI-compatible, enabling immediate observation of the impact of deep brain electrical stimulation on multiple brain regions through three-dimensional brain imaging. This feature provides an effective and secure assessment of the treatment.
Ph.D. candidate Szu-Ju Lee, involved in the research, suggests that the negative emotions in depression may result from impaired mitochondrial function in the brain, leading to oxidative stress as neurons resort to anaerobic respiration. Following deep brain electrical stimulation in the nucleus accumbens, neuroimaging reveals activated brain regions and enhanced neural circuit connections responsible for emotional regulation. Metabolic analysis also confirms a shift toward aerobic respiration in neurons after stimulation, contributing to increased cellular energy and reduced oxidative stress.
The depression deep brain stimulation device developed by the international medical materials giant Abbott received breakthrough device designation in the United States last year. The collaboration between NYCU and Abbott aims to clarify the mechanism of deep brain electrical stimulation for treating depression, facilitate the understanding of future clinical treatment targets, optimize stimulation parameters, and develop stable and effective treatment strategies.
Professor You-Yin Chen (center), Dr. Szu-Ju Lee (second from the left), and the laboratory team.
