Treating neurological disorders with brain implants

~ Meet the Graphene Flagship spin-off INBRAIN Neuroelectronics ~

In Europe, there are 165 million people living with a brain disorder. What’s more, one in three people are predicted to suffer with some neurological disorder during their lifetime. Each year, the cost of treating brain disorders equates to 35 per cent of Europe’s total disease burden — that’s almost 800 billion euros. Graphene Flagship spin-off, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics in Barcelona, is developing graphene-based brain implants to alleviate this strain.

INBRAIN is a spin off from the Graphene Flagship, one of the largest European research initiatives, and its partners the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), in Spain. Established in 2019, INBRAIN uses technology developed by Graphene Flagship partners ICN2, ICREA and the University of Manchester to develop smart devices for patients with neuronal disorders, like Parkinson’s or epilepsy.  The Graphene Flagship ecosystem was key to the development of these innovative technologies.

INBRAIN’s technology is built around graphene electrodes which decode with high fidelity neural signals from the brain and then can produce smart therapeutic responses specific to the clinical condition of each patient.

Clinicians have long used electrode arrays to monitor and to stimulate brain activity. But, the performance of commercially available technologies, based on metals like platinum, drops significantly when miniaturized. Existing clinically-used electrodes are therefore very large and unable to accurately stimulate the affected area or record brain activity in detail. As a result, despite the enormous potential of neuromodulation to treat a range of brain disorders, current efforts have proved largely ineffective, with many causing significant side effects.

Graphene´s properties enable the electrodes to be miniaturized while still performing excellently. Graphene-based implants can support many more electrodes than traditional electrode arrays, and therefore are capable of high-resolution recording and stimulation. This results in mapping of brain activity with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution and, at the same time, brain stimulation with unique precision.  

The smartest and least invasive neural interface on the market, INBRAIN’s device is slim and flexible enough to be used over large areas of the cortex without interfering with normal brain function or can be integrated into probes reaching deep structures of the brain. Powered by artificial intelligence and using big data, the implants can read and modulate brain activity, detect specific biomarkers and trigger adaptive responses to deliver optimal results in personalised neurological therapies.

“The high-density bi-directional graphene dots in our brain interfaces collect real-time high-resolution brain signals and identify relevant biomarkers,” explained Carolina Aguilar, CEO of INBRAIN Neuroelectronics. “We link these to symptoms to generate a therapeutic solution. This entire process can be done through machine learning algorithms that eventually make the process automatic, delivering a true neuroelectric therapy free of the side effects associated to the current therapies.

“As we collect more securitized and anonymized data, we can create better and smarter algorithms and therefore more effective therapeutic solutions.” Aguilar explained.

INBRAIN’s technology has been validated in in-vitro and in-vivo biocompatibility, as well as toxicity tests. It has been used successfully in studies on small animals and will be further validated through tests on large animals to ensure they are safe and superior to current solutions using metals.

To achieve this ambition a team that has been put together, combining technical expertise and business acumen. It includes Graphene Flagship figures Jose Garrido, Kostas Kostarelos and Anton Guimera, neurotechnology experts from Philips, Medtronic and other important start-ups such as Bert Bakker and Michel Decre, and neurotech business knowledge thanks to former Medtronic Global Director Carolina Aguilar. The team continues to grow with key neuro-engineering talent in Europe.

In early 2021, INBRAIN announced a record-breaking investment of over €14 million, and it recently partnered with Merck, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, to develop the next generation of bioelectronics. INBRAIN has also recently expanded its business to create INNERVIA, a new company that will work hand-in-hand with leading pharmaceutical company Merck to develop smart bioelectronics to treat chronic diseases. This partnership highlights the interest of key industrial players in graphene technologies.

For more information on INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, click here. Or, to learn more about the Graphene Flagship and other medical uses of graphene, follow this link.