While neurostimulators are available for helping to stop chronic pain, they can lead to mixed results, partially because the technique is a synthetic way of masking nerve signals from reaching the brain. A team from Linköping University and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a device that delivers the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a naturally produced charged molecule used by the body to control pain, to the precise spot where an injured nerve makes contact with the spinal cord. The ion pump is implanted next to the spinal cord and an electronic control unit releases the neurotransmitter to completely block the pain signals from reaching the brain.
The device was tested on rats who were subjected to pain tests, to which they responded as nothing terrible was going on. The researchers believe that the technology is on its way to becoming a clinical option within the next five to ten years.
From the study abstract in Science Advances:
…we demonstrate the efficacy of an implantable organic electronic delivery device for the treatment of neuropathic pain in an animal model. Devices were implanted onto the spinal cord of rats, and 2 days after implantation, local delivery of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was initiated. Highly localized delivery resulted in a significant decrease in pain response with low dosage and no observable side effects. This demonstration of organic bioelectronics-based therapy in awake animals illustrates a viable alternative to existing pain treatments, paving the way for future implantable bioelectronic therapeutics.
Article in Science Advances: Therapy using implanted organic bioelectronics…
Source: Linköping University…