MIT researchers have developed “wearable” devices that can interact with individual cells within the body, similar to how smartwatches or fitness trackers work with human physiology.

These devices, made from a soft polymer called azobenzene, wrap around neurons’ axons and dendrites gently, without causing damage.

The technology behind these devices allows them to respond to light; when activated, they roll into shapes that conform to the complex structures of cells.

The manufacturing process for these tiny wearables begins by placing azobenzene onto a water-soluble layer, then molding the polymer into thousands of microstructures. After baking to evaporate solvents and etching to clear excess material, the water-soluble layer dissolves, leaving the devices free-floating in water.

Researchers can control these devices with precision through light, allowing adjustments in how they wrap around cells. This capability opens up various applications.

One potential use is as synthetic myelin, providing artificial insulation for axons in conditions like multiple sclerosis where natural myelin is lost.

Another application involves modulating the activity of neurons by integrating the devices with materials capable of stimulating cells. This could prove beneficial in treating brain diseases by allowing for precise electrical activity modulation at a subcellular level.

Additionally, these devices could target specific cell types or subcellular regions, enhancing their utility in biological research and medical treatments.

Great potential for future research

The researchers describe the methods and results of this study in a paper published in Nature Communications Chemistry.

“To have intimate interfaces with these cells, the devices must be soft and able to conform to these complex structures,” says research leader Deblina Sarkar in a MIT press release. “That is the challenge we solved in this work. We were the first to show that azobenzene could even wrap around living cells.”

This study has shown compatibility with living cells, with tests on rat neurons indicating no damage from the application of these devices. Researchers envision a future where thousands of these devices roam the body, controlled noninvasively with light.

This could offer new ways to interface with neural systems at a minute scale, thus revolutionizing treatments for neurological conditions and deepening our understanding of cellular processes.

“The concept and platform technology we introduce here is like a founding stone that brings about immense possibilities for future research,” says Sarkar.

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