Symposium SB01: Electrifying Biomaterials—Frontiers of Biohybrid Devices

Ye Ji Kim, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Magnetoelectric Nanodiscs for Treatment of Parkinsonian Behavior in Mice

Written by Ethan To

Parkinson’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the mid-brain region resulting in resting tremors, bradykinesia, slowed gait, and postural instability. The current gold standard of surgical treatment is use of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS), which effectively controls tremors but is highly invasive, risky, and limited to select patients. To address these challenges, Ye Ji Kim and colleagues at MIT are developing a new approach to stimulate the STN DBS using magnetoelectric nanodiscs (MENDs). These nanoscale transducers convert magnetic fields into electric polarization, allowing non-invasive stimulation of deep brain regions. By synthesizing anisotropic core–double-shell Fe₃O₄–CoFe₂O₄–BaTiO₃ hexagonal nanodiscs, Kim demonstrates enhanced electrical potential generated by individual MENDs, achieving remote control of reward and motor behavior in mice at low concentrations. Ultimately, this promising research is paving the way to novel neuroprotective therapies using non-invasive MENDs for deep brain stimulation.