A researcher with the TSSG, Dr Michael Barros is researching control of brain signals with respect to how nanotechnologies could fight Alzheimer’s disease
Biography
Michael was born in Campina Grande, Brazil, 1990. He is currently an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postdoctoral research fellow associated with the TSSG, SETU. Michael received his Ph.D. in Telecommunication Software at the South East Technological University in 2016, M.Sc. degree in Computer Science at the Federal University of Campina Grande in 2012, and B.Tech. degree in Telematics at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Paraiba in 2011. Interests in Molecular Communications, Nanonetworks and 5G Technology for Connected Health.
Synopsis
“We found that by controlling the IP3 that initiates the Ca2+ signalling in astrocytes using the feed-forward feedback approach, we can provide stability to this mechanism, and bring more controllability to the glutamate release”, he said, summarising the mechanism being investigated.
With respect to what the future holds he said, “We bring hope to Alzheimer’s patients and show what nanotechnologies can bring the presented theory to life in the near future.”
Research story
Approximately 24 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, of which 60% is due to Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death for all ages and the fifth leading cause of death for those 65 years of age and older, with an annual cost of approximately $226 billion in the U.S. alone. But its treatment remains with symptom-preventing drugs that neglect the diseases progression or do not cure the disease. The blood-brain barrier also prevents the effectiveness of current Alzheimer’s drugs, blocking the flow of drug molecules to the brain by the central nervous system.
Researchers have found that nanoparticles can potentially bypass the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, nanotechnology alongside with biotechnology is an exciting approach that not only provides new drugs and treatments to Alzheimer’s, but can also enable a cure for the disease. Alzheimer’s main cause is the lack of glutamate in the tripartite synapses (three way molecular communication between neurons and astrocytes), which leads to poor synaptic transmission and therefore lack of memory, bad sleep, depression, and so on. The control of the concentration of glutamate can therefore increase the synaptic quality, providing a new and potentially more efficient way to treat Alzheimer’s.
Since, glutamate release is controlled by the intracellular Ca2+ signalling in the astrocytes of the tripartite synapses, providing desired levels of Ca2+ can result in the desired regulation of glutamate. The goal of this research proposal is to investigate a potential way of obtaining such an outcome. We use the feed-forward feedback control theory, combined with communication theory and synthetic biology, to regulate the internal Ca2+ signalling of astrocytes in the tripartite synapses, providing sufficient levels of glutamate to control the quality of the synaptic transmission.
This is not only applicable to Alzheimer’s but also to other neurodegenerative diseases, because it enables a new way of maintaining the stability and health of the brain tissues using nanotechnology and engineering principles. This interdisciplinary approach will cause a significant impact on biotechnology, nanotechnology, Alzheimer’s disease and drug delivery system research fields with also an important economic potential effect.