Brain cells turned into cyborg tissue

摘要

NERVE cells in living animals have been genetically modified to produce conducting polymers on their surfaces, giving them new electrical properties.The work, which could enable us to electrically control specific groups of cells, may lead to new treatments for epilepsy and better ways of connecting prosthetic limbs to nerves, says Zhenan Bao at Stanford University in California.At present, electrical implants, such as those used for treating Parkinson's disease, often use metal electrodes pushed into the brain. One of the disadvantages is that there is no way to use these to control the activity of particular types of neuron.