A non-surgical brain implant enabled through cell-electronics hybrid for focal neuromodulation

Bioelectronic implants for brain stimulation are used to treat brain disorders but require invasive surgery. To provide a non-invasive alternative, we report non-surgical implants consisting of immune cell–electronics hybrids, an approach we call Circulatronics. The devices can be delivered intravenously and traffic autonomously to regions of inflammation in brain, where they implant and affect neuromodulation, circumventing the need for surgery. To achieve suitable electronics, we designed and built subcellular-sized, wireless, photovoltaic electronic devices (SWEDs) that harvest optical energy with high power conversion efficiency. In mice, we demonstrate non-surgical implantation in inflamed brain region as an example of therapeutic target for several neural diseases, by employing monocytes as cells, covalently attaching them to the SWEDs and administering the resulting hybrids intravenously. We also demonstrate neural stimulation with 30 µm precision around the inflamed region. Thus, by fusing electronic functionality with the biological transport and targeting capabilities of living cells, this technology can form the foundation for autonomously implanting bioelectronics.