Silk Implants

One of the defining challenges in the development of prosthetics and other biomedical technologies is the integration of complex organic systems with inorganic structures. Many innovations occurring in biotechnology today address this challenge, and use our increasing knowledge of biological structures to integrate them with man made devices in novel ways.

Emily Anthes addresses this topic in her book, Frankenstein’s Cat. In one example she discusses the work of Amit Lal, whose goal was to remotely control the movements of moths. Lal took advantage of the natural developmental process of moths to connect them with the neural implant required to control them. He simply left the circuit board resting on their pupal cases, and sure enough the moths grew around it, integrating it with their own bodies. Anthes claims that such surgeries, “…lead to more stable, permanent interfaces between electronic devices and living tissue."

One recent development in the treatment of epilepsy is especially seamless in its integration with the body. A recent study showed that silk implants in the brain could be used to fight the seizures that characterize the disease. The implants are believed to work by releasing adenosine as they break down, thereby reducing DNA methylation and inhibiting the creation of new excitatory neural circuits. Researchers demonstrated that these natural implants could create a four-fold reduction in seizures in their animal models. Even more amazing than this however was the fact that within ten days the implants dissolved completely, leaving no trace, but continued to inhibit seizures for up to three months. The use of organic implants such as these clearly has the potential to be a remarkably powerful and non-invasive method of treatment.

Resources:

Anthes, Emily. Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech’s Brave New Beasts.

New York: Scientific American. 2013. Print.

Long, Steve. (2013, Aug 6).  Silk Adenosine-Releasing Implants ‘May Stop Spread of Epilepsy.’ Epilepsy Research U.K. Retrieved from: http://www.epilepsyresearch.org.uk/silk-adenosine-releasing-implants-may-stop-spread-of-epilepsy/