admin Researchers are developing new technologies that will support investigation into the hitherto unknown territories of the human brain- also known as the deep brain region. The initiative is helmed by researchers at the University of Strathclyde are part of an international study creating new photonic tools for accessing the deep brain, for the study and treatment of neurological diseases. The DEEPER project will aim to augment the understanding of the causes of brain disorders, focusing on the anatomical and functional alterations occurring in difficult-to-reach deep regions of the brain.
Creation of the Tech
The novel venture titled ‘Deep Brain Photonic Tools for Cell-Type Specific Targeting of Neural Diseases’ (DEEPER), which is investigating the deep-brain alterations underlying the origin of neurological and psychiatric diseases, has the University of Strathclyde as the sole participant from the UK. The research will commence with the researchers developing optoelectronic devices to interface with the brain. This will allow the use of light to stimulate neurons, to further understanding of dementia, depression, addiction, schizophrenia and chronic pain.
A Step into the Unknown
Professor Keith Mathieson, Director of Strathclyde’s Institute of Photonics and Royal Academy of Engineering and Chair in Emerging Technologies stated, “This project is making a big push to develop photonic technology for the benefit of neuroscience, in particular looking beyond cortical structures. You can already image the brain down to a depth of a few hundred microns; we want to go deeper than that. DEEPER is a very exciting project with a great mix of leading technologists and neuroscientists coming together. We hope it will translate to have real clinical impact and that the technology can spread across the wider scientific community.” This initiative be will a guiding light for future of brain surgeries and treatments. The new tools will be molecular optical sensors, minimally invasive brain probes, next generation microscopes and endoscopes that will use light both to acquire images of specific deep brain areas and to control brain electrical activity on selected portions of the central nervous system, in order to study dysfunctions at molecular and cellular level.
Currently, this study is slated to be a four-year long partnership among 12 partners, across 8 countries. The programme is coordinated by Italian Institute of Technology, and has received funding of approximately €5.7 million from the European Union via the Horizon 2020 programme.
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