The human brain is one of the most complex organs, with billions of neurons arranged in highly specialized regions. The treatment of neurological disorders is challenging, as Many conditions arise from very specific areas of dysfunction. And at the same time interconnected. Therefore, it is not a single region, the one involved in disorders or ailments, its complexity and totality must be evaluated.
Unequal distribution of drugs can reduce therapeutic results and increase side effects. As if this were not enough, we must add the precision with which the drugs must be administered: a difficult precision, since most current implants only reach a limited volume of tissue.
For decades, Scientists have turned to small, flexible catheters to minimize damage to delicate brain tissuebut these usually release the medication from only one or two points, which limits their effectiveness.
Now, a team of scientists at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has developed a new brain implant designed to overcome these limitations. The device, called SPIRAL (Strategic Precision Infusion for Regional Liquid Administration), is a thin, flexible tube capable of delivering drugs to multiple brain regions with high precision. The progress has been published in Journal of Neural Engineering.
“Neurological disorders usually come from very specific regions of the brain, but our current tools to address these areas are limited – explains Khalil Ramadi, leader of the study, in a statement -. SPIRAL allows us reach multiple regions simultaneously without adding risk, which could change the way we deliver treatment for different conditions”.
The implant design features carefully spaced openings along its length, allowing controlled release of the drug over larger areas of brain tissue. Advanced computer modeling and extensive laboratory testing confirmed its safety and effectiveness.
“Our design solves a major problem with existing brain implants, which typically deliver drugs from only one or two points,” adds Batoul Khlaifat, co-author of the study. “SPIRAL allows drugs to be distributed more uniformly and over larger regions, while remaining safe and minimally invasive.”
A key finding of the study is that SPIRAL did not cause increased levels of inflammation compared to standard devices. This suggests that it could be safely used for long-term therapies.
“When diseases such as glioblastoma progress, treatment usually consists of delivering drugs directly to a large volume of the brain to bypass the blood-brain barrier – concludes Mahmoud Elbeh, co-author of the study -. Our helical shape, with tight and evenly spaced outlets, allows us to cover more tissue with a single insertion. By using CFD to adjust the diameters of the ports and achieve uniform flow, we created a platform that could be applied to drug delivery in other solid organs”.