An artificial strand of hair could help researchers better understand how memory loss occurs in people living with Alzheimer’s.
Such a novel “superfiber” could be implanted into the brain to provide imaging of tissues in a less invasive way than conventional methods, researchers behind the technology state.
“Alzheimer’s is a devastating problem,” fiber co-developer Xiaoting Jia, PhD, associate professor at Virginia Tech, said in a statement. “I want to build tools and try to assist neuroscientists. The brain is very nuanced with more than 80 billion neurons, and we’re still behind on fully understanding how the brain functions and how diseases are formed.”
The goal is to use the fiber to image and analyze the build-up of amyloid beta proteins in the brain’s hippocampus. Such toxic proteins are thought to be a significant driver of cognitive decline in people living with Alzheimer’s.
Although the hair fiber technology is in the early stages, innovations in dementia screening and treatment are important for older adults. Current technology such as PET or CT scans are costly and require hospital visits outside of their home or community residence.
The introduction of novel drug treatments for Alzheimer’s over the past year, such as lecanemab (Leqembi), has increased the need to screen people and monitor the progression of the disease.
The imaging fiber would cause little to no brain damage and would reduce the need for costly surgeries, the researchers suggested.
The admittedly ambitious goal of the experts behind the brain-fiber is to conduct two studies, with different prototypes of the hair material, over the next year.
The researchers received an $800,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health in September to help complete the goal.
The imaging fiber is envisioned primarily as a research and diagnostic tool. Another intriguing option being developed for treating Alzheimer’s in a non-invasive way is a light therapy “helmet,” as the McKnight’s Tech Daily has recently reported.
