The University of Virginia (UVA) is working on a cutting-edge brain implant to potentially manage and reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. The tiny fiber-based implant aims to provide real-time imaging of a patient’s condition, offering hope for better understanding and treatment of the degenerative disease.
Harald Sontheimer, professor and chair of neuroscience at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, along with researchers from Virginia Tech and Washington University in St. Louis, are conducting tests using a colony of mice genetically engineered to have Alzheimer’s. The implant monitors blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain tissue, and can even deliver drugs and electrical stimulation to encourage blood flow.
The implant is designed to provide real-time monitoring of oxygen levels in the brain tissue, with the capability to administer vasodilators to maximize blood flow when oxygen levels drop. This innovative approach could potentially rescue neural function in affected regions of the brain.
The research also aims to understand the origins of Alzheimer’s disease, with a focus on the build-up of misfolded amyloid proteins around blood vessels within the brain. Testing of the implant is set to begin in December, offering hope for significant advancements in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
