Researchers from the Institute of Basic Sciences (IBS) and Yonsei University in South Korea have tested a technology that uses magnetic fields to remotely and precisely move specific areas of the brain. This technology has great potential for understanding brain function and developing new treatments for neurological disorders.
Cheon Jinwoo from the Nanomedicine Center at IBS said that Nano-MIND technology is the world’s first technology that freely controls specific brain areas. Based on magnetic fields and magnetized nanoparticles, this technology can act on the brain non-invasively and wirelessly.
Nano-MIND Technology and Working Principle
Nano-MIND technology works by using genetically modified ‘magnetoreceptors’ that can attract magnetized nanoparticles injected onto the surfaces of neurons. Externally applied rotating magnetic fields activate the neurons by bending the magnets attached to these receptors.
Experiments Conducted on Mice and Results Obtained
The researchers tested the Nano-MIND technology on freely moving mice. In the experiments, a significant increase in grooming behavior was observed in non-maternal female mice as a result of selective activation of inhibitory GABA receptors in neurons in the medial preoptic area (mPOA) of the hypothalamus.
Nano-MIND technology, which has also been successful in regulating eating habits, was able to control appetite and feeding behaviors by targeting circuits in the lateral hypothalamus. These experiments demonstrate the technology’s potential for use in neuroscience and therapeutic applications by selectively affecting specific neurons in the brain.
