Alzheimer’s solution? The EU is working on stamp-sized microchips that resemble the human brain

A human brain on a chip feels like something out of a science fiction movie, like a machine that powers an evil cyborg.

Dr. But Raquel Rodrigues, who is a chemical and biological engineer at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Braga, Portugal, believes that such a device will be crucial in developing more effective treatments for serious problems. brain such as Alzheimer’s.

“The brain is a very complex and interesting organ,” says Rodrigues. “We need to study cells and experimental parts electronically to find out how they work.”

The brain on a chip

Thanks to research funding from the EU, Rodrigues and his fellow researchers at INL were able to build a unique microchip that mimics the brain, as part of a so-called research effort BrainChip4MEDwhich lasted two years and ended in February 2024.

The research included a 12-month internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, part of Harvard Medical School and an innovative center in the development of organs-on-a-chip (OoC) and biosensors.

The ingenious little device developed by researchers looks like chips in computers or smartphones, but it is much more complex.

The brain-on-a-chip mimics how the human brain works, between chemistry, engineering and biology to create a complex micro-biosensor system for real-time screening of new nanotherapies.

Based on a technology called microfluidics, the chip has several microchannels – tens to hundreds of micrometers in size – through which fluids can pass. Therefore, very few products can be analyzed and multiple samples can be tested at the same time, reducing overall testing costs.

The protective brain barrier

One of the main goals of the researchers was to deal with the issue of developing drugs that were able to cross the so-called blood-brain barrier.

This layer of tight junction cells helps protect the brain from toxins, germs, and other harmful substances that may be in the blood.

Only the smallest molecules can pass through the blood-brain barrier. Although this has a very important protective role, it has also hindered efforts to develop drugs to treat neurological disorders.

Any drug intended to treat the brain must pass through this membrane to reach its target. But without human testing, there are few effective ways to determine how well a drug can penetrate the brain.

“Currently, there are only four Alzheimer’s drugs available commercially, and none of them actually treat Alzheimer’s disease, but only work on the symptoms,” says Rodrigues.

“This is because pharmaceutical companies have to invest large sums in drugs that they are not sure will cross the blood-brain barrier. So, I’m not doing it.”

A pharmaceutical company could spend millions developing a drug, only to find out later that it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. EU funding for the new brain chip developed at INL solves this problem.

Report life on a chip

The research team recreated the blood-brain barrier membrane on a chip using a bioorganic material.

“That’s what separates us,” Rodrigues said. “We use a biomembrane that is more like the barrier in our brain. Other devices use physical barriers, made of polymer components. We think a biological one is better.”

With this innovative new brain-on-a-chip technology, researchers will be able to integrate an early-stage drug into the chip to monitor its effects and see how well it can for him to enter the brain.

The aim is to change the way these types of drugs are developed. Currently, this type of testing is mostly done on animals, which comes with a number of ethical questions and practical inconveniences. These organ-on-a-chip microchips offer an alternative to traditional animal testing.

“An animal brain is different from a human brain,” says Rodrigues. “That’s why many drugs in development don’t produce results. Animal testing does not necessarily reproduce what happens in humans. “

The stakes are high. Brain disorders are one of the biggest health challenges of our time. It is estimated that around 165 million Europeans suffer from a neurological disorder. One in three people will suffer from a brain and/or mental disorder at some point in their lives.

The total costs for the European health care budgets are estimated at €800 billion per year, and this amount will increase with the aging of the population.

Among these are well-known neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, but also other disorders such as epilepsy, depression, strokes, migraines, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, pain syndromes and addiction.

An important step forward

INL is one of the main European research institutes, co-financed by the national governments of Portugal and Spain.

It is also supported by the EU and industry. Dr. Manuel Bañobre-López, director of the Nanomedicine Research Group at INL, led the creation of the new chip.

“At INL, we have extensive knowledge of microfluidics, the discipline that studies the type of chip we created in BrainChip4MED,” says Bañobre-López.

However, it may be a while before the brain-on-a-chip device is ready for use, he warns.

Although the prototype is ready, further development is required. It must undergo rigorous testing to ensure that it can be used for drugs that will eventually be given to human patients. This process alone takes years.

However, researchers are optimistic.

“We have to fight against Alzheimer’s, it is one of the most problematic brain diseases in the world,” says Rodrigues. “And for this, we have to find new drugs. The technology we have developed is an important step in this regard.”

Article written by Tom Cassauwers

The research mentioned in this article was funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). The views of the interviewees do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

More information

This article was originally published in HorizonEU research and innovation journal.