Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Nat Mater. 2021 Jul;20(7):1029-1036. doi: 10.1038/s41563-020-00896-y. Epub 2021 Jan 28.
Among physical stimulation modalities, magnetism has clear advantages, such as deep penetration and untethered interventions in biological subjects. However, some of the working principles and effectiveness of existing magnetic neurostimulation approaches have been challenged, leaving questions to be answered. Here we introduce m-Torquer, a magnetic toolkit that mimics magnetoreception in nature. It comprises a nanoscale magnetic torque actuator and a circular magnet array, which deliver piconewton-scale forces to cells over a working range of ~70 cm. With m-Torquer, stimulation of neurons expressing bona fide mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 enables consistent and reproducible neuromodulation in freely moving mice. With its long working distance and cellular targeting capability, m-Torquer provides versatility in its use, which can range from single cells to in vivo systems, with the potential application in large animals such as primates.
在物理刺激方式中，磁场具有明显的优势，例如可以深入穿透和对生物主体进行无束缚干预。然而，一些现有的磁神经刺激方法的工作原理和有效性受到了挑战，留下了一些需要回答的问题。在这里，我们介绍 m-Torquer，这是一种模拟自然磁受体的磁性工具包。它由纳米级的磁扭矩执行器和圆形磁体阵列组成，可以在~70cm 的工作范围内向细胞施加皮牛顿级的力。使用 m-Torquer，对表达真正机械敏感离子通道 Piezo1 的神经元进行刺激，可以在自由移动的小鼠中实现一致且可重复的神经调节。凭借其长工作距离和细胞靶向能力，m-Torquer 在使用上具有多功能性，可适用于从单细胞到体内系统的各种情况，并且有可能在灵长类动物等大型动物中得到应用。
