HQ Team
January 31, 2025: Researchers at Cambridge are developing implants that could help repair damaged brain cells and treat diseases like Parkinson’s.
The project is part of the Euro 69 million funding programme of the UK government and is supported by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency.
The project uses small clusters of brain cells called midbrain organoids to develop a new type of brain implant, which will be tested in animal models of Parkinson’s disease, according to a statement.
Over four years, the project aims to unlock new methods for “interfacing with the human brain at the neural circuit level to treat many of the most complex neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, from Alzheimer’s to epilepsy to depression.”
Dopamine
Parkinson’s disease occurs when the brain cells that make dopamine (a chemical that helps control movement) die off, causing movement problems and other symptoms.
Current treatments, like dopamine-based drugs, work well early on but can cause serious side effects over time.
“To date, there’s been little serious investment into methodologies that interface precisely with the human brain, beyond ‘brute force’ approaches or highly invasive implants,” said ARIA Programme Director Jacques Carolan.
“We’re showing that it’s possible to develop elegant means of understanding, identifying, and treating many of the most complex and devastating brain disorders.
“Ultimately, this could deliver transformative impact for people with lived experiences of brain disorders.”
Need for new treatments
In the UK, 130,000 people have Parkinson’s disease, and it costs affected families about £16,000 per year on average – more than £2 billion in the UK annually.
As more people age, the number of cases will grow, and new treatments are urgently needed.
One idea is to replace the lost dopamine cells by transplanting new ones into the brain. However these cells need to connect properly to the brain’s network to fix the problem, and current methods don’t fully achieve that.
“Our ultimate goal is to create precise brain therapies that can restore normal brain function in people with Parkinson’s,” said Professor George Malliaras from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering will co-lead a project.
Midbrain organoids
Malliaras and his colleagues are working on a new approach using small clusters of brain cells called midbrain organoids.
These will be placed in the right part of the brain in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease. They’ll also use advanced materials and electrical stimulation to help the new cells connect and rebuild the damaged pathways.
The brain implants are one of the 18 projects funded by ARIA as part of its Precision Neurotechnologies programme.
