Researchers discover a way to deliver drugs to the brain using a remote control

Advertisement

brain

Allan Ajifo/Flickr

Researchers have discovered a way to deliver drugs to specific parts of the brain by using a remote control.

Taking your daily meds could look a lot different in the future.

Advertisement

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have created a wireless device that can be implanted in the brain and controlled with a remote to deliver drugs.

The researchers successfully implanted the device, which is about the width of a hair, into mice for the first time recently, but the technology could one day be used in humans to treat depression, pain, epilepsy and other neurological disorders, according to a statement on the university's website. The research was recently published in the journal Cell.

Complimentary Tech Event
Transform talent with learning that works
Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

The implantable device works by delivering light or drugs to certain parts of the brain. By using targeted drugs that are only delivered to certain regions of the brain, side effects from drugs could potentially become much less severe.

"In the future, it should be possible to manufacture therapeutic drugs that could be activated with light," said co-principal investigator Michael R. Bruchas, PhD, associate professor of anesthesiology and neurobiology at Washington University in a statement.

Advertisement

"With one of these tiny devices implanted, we could theoretically deliver a drug to a specific brain region and activate that drug with light as needed. This approach potentially could deliver therapies that are much more targeted but have fewer side effects."?????????????

The implanted device, which is soft like brain tissue, has four chambers that can deliver drugs with the push of a button. The device can also be used to activate certain brain cells by using flashes of light, triggered by the remote.

NOW WATCH: Doctors Show Why 3D Printing Holds 'Limitless' Potential For Medicine