College of Basic Medical and Sciences, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, People's Republic of China.
Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2024 Nov 20;19:12287-12295. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S491440. eCollection 2024.
Understanding the physiology and pathology of neural circuits is crucial in neuroscience research. A variety of techniques have been utilized in medical research, with several established methods applied in clinical therapy to enhance patient' neurological functions. Traditional methods include generating electric fields near neural tissue using electrodes, or non-contact modulation using light, chemicals, magnetic fields, and ultrasound. The advent of nanotechnology represents a new advancement in neural modulation techniques, offering high precision and the ability to target specific cell types. Smart nanomaterials enable the conversion of remote signals (such as light, magnetic, or ultrasound) into local stimuli (eg, electric fields or heat) for neurons. Surface treatment technologies of nanomaterials have enhanced biocompatibility, making targeted delivery to specific cell types possible and paving the way for precise neural modulation. This perspective will explore neural modulation techniques supported by nanomedical materials, focusing on photoelectric, photothermal, magnetoelectric, magnetothermal, and acoustoelectric conversion mechanisms, and looking forward to their medical applications.
理解神经回路的生理学和病理学在神经科学研究中至关重要。在医学研究中已经应用了多种技术，其中一些已确立的方法应用于临床治疗以增强患者的神经功能。传统方法包括使用电极在神经组织附近产生电场，或使用光、化学物质、磁场和超声波进行非接触式调制。纳米技术的出现代表了神经调制技术的新进展，提供了高精度和靶向特定细胞类型的能力。智能纳米材料使远程信号（如光、磁或超声）能够转化为神经元的局部刺激（例如电场或热）。纳米材料的表面处理技术提高了生物相容性，使靶向特定细胞类型成为可能，并为精确的神经调制铺平了道路。本观点将探讨纳米医学材料支持的神经调制技术，重点介绍光电、光热、磁电、磁热和电声转换机制，并期待它们在医学上的应用。
