Detecting changes in the brain can be very difficult. Scientists have now developed a kind of molecular flashlight that can illuminate the composition of neural tissue with a non-invasive, ultra-thin probe. Molecular changes in the brain, such as those that happen during traumatic brain injury or in cancerous tissue, can be easily observed with this tool. While it has only been applied to a mouse model, the researchers are hopeful that this technique will be available in the clinic within a few years. The work has been reported in Nature Methods.
The probe developed in this study is under one millimeter thick, and has a tip that is only about one-thousandth of a millimeter (one micron) wide. When it moves into the brain, no damage occurs. While it is still only a research tool, it is on the way to use as a diagnostic method. The authors are confident that it can identify metastatic cancer in the brain with a high degree of accuracy.
The molecular flashlight relies on a technology called vibrational spectroscopy. The interaction between molecules and light produces various scattering effects, which depend on the chemical structure and composition of a material. Molecules produce unique light spectrums, which can provide information about the tissue that is being illuminated.
"This technology allows us to study the brain in its natural state without the need for prior alteration," noted study co-author Manuel Valiente of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO). "Moreover, it enables us to analyze any type of brain structure, not just those that have been genetically marked or altered, as was necessary with previous technologies. With vibrational spectroscopy we can see any molecular change in the brain when a pathology is present."
This method is already applied in a few cases, such as during surgery; it can show whether all of the tissue that should be removed has been taken from the patient before the surgery is complete.
The researchers also want to identify other diagnostic markers that can be visualized with this new tool. For example, it may be possible to learn more about the causes of epileptic seizures in various patients by studying differences in affected brain tissues.
"The integration of vibrational spectroscopy with other modalities for recording brain activity and advanced computational analysis using artificial intelligence will allow us to identify new high-precision diagnostic markers," noted study co-author Liset Menéndez de la Prida of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). "This will facilitate the development of advanced neurotechnology for new biomedical applications."
Sources: The Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Nature Methods
