Title: Wireless communication with cells towards bioelectronic treatments of the future
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Abstract: Electroceutics, or bioelectronic drugs are defined as treating disease via control of the body's electrical signals and are the future therapeutic intervention. Examples of electroceutic devices include the cochlear implant, retinal implants forming a bionic eye, pace maker for modulating heart rhythm, deep brain stimulators for treating Parkinson's and other neurological disorders, and most recently a wraparound vagus nerve stimulator to treat arthritis. They rely on electrical stimulation of neuronal pathways that cause a functional effect to treat a disease or an ailment. Bioelectronic based therapies typically involve the merging of electronic devices with neuronal cells/tissues. This generally involves initial invasive surgery for implantation of the electronic component which also needs regular replacement. The electronic components of the device stimulates nerves cells/tissues in an unprecise manner. However, whilst treating disease by modulating neural relays has been the focus of research, almost no studies exist describing bioelectronic based therapies for non-neuronal cells. This is surprising considering all cells are electrically active. The field of electroceutics is an emerging strategy as an important method for disease intervention and will be increasingly important in the management of human disease. In order for electroceutical therapies to fulfil their potential there are still a number of challenges to be solved. These include *A more thorough understanding of how cellular electrical talk malfunctions underpin disease, and a more targeted approach in modulating the cellular-electrical relays that underpin sickness. *A broadening of electroceutical therapeutic intervention from nervous system application as well as other cell and tissue types. *A need to avoid invasive surgery thereby making the technology more adaptable via development of wireless technology. The research proposed will work towards addressing these challenges by developing new electrochemical based wireless technology, which may avoid invasive surgery and will be applied to treating non-neuronal based diseases such as cancer. In addition, by combining 3D printing of electrochemical systems with the wireless cellular actuation, we plan to be able to target and control specific neuronal circuits. The research exploits concepts and tools from electrochemistry, nanochemistry, supramolecular chemistry, additive manufacturing and bionanotechnology to develop electrochemical based wireless nanotechnology to sense and actuate cellular behaviour. By bringing to fruition the application of electrochemistry to electroceutics in developing such novel disruptive technology it will significantly advance healthcare technology. In addition it will make a profound and significant impact in the broad fields of biosensors applications in many areas such as biomedical diagnostics, pharmaceutical industry, defence and environmental monitoring and offer new research tools to study cellular electrochemistry.

Lay abstract: The vision of this proposal is to develop a new electroceutical technology based on wireless electrochemical systems. This new bioelectronic therapeutic tool will be used to treat cancer non-invasively. Moreover it will offer a new wireless approach to modulating the central nervous systems' cellular electrical activity; this will be possible in a targeted manner, with positive implications for treating central nervous system based diseases. The overall aim is develop electrochemical wireless technology that can sense and actuate cellular behaviour. To achieve this we have a number of objectives A) Develop wireless technology to actuate cell surface and intracellular mediated redox changes. B) Develop 3D Printing techniques to fabricate wireless tools and technology to monitor cellular electrochemistry. C) Use the newly developed bioelectronic drugs for therapeutic applications towards development and control of neural networks and for treatment of cancer.

Research activity codes: 2.1 BIOLOGICAL AND ENDOGENOUS FACTORS;5.3 MEDICAL DEVICES
Health categories: NEUROLOGICAL