# WIRELESS MAGNETO-MECHANICAL CONTROL OF NEURAL ACTIVITY MEDIATED BY MAGNETIC NANODISCS

> **NIH NIH R56** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO · 2022 · $530,817

## Abstract

WIRELESS MAGNETO-MECHANICAL CONTROL OF NEURAL ACTIVITY
 MEDIATED BY MAGNETIC NANODISCS
PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Cell-type specific manipulation of neural circuits is required for the treatment of neurological disorders and
psychiatric conditions. Precise control of neural circuits will enable the development of neuromodulation
therapies for these debilitating conditions. Existing technologies to control neural activity offer limited possibilities.
Manipulation of brain circuits via direct drug treatment is restricted by the selective permeability of the blood-
brain barrier, the rapid clearance of cerebral fluids and the lack of specificity which results in poor response to
drugs and undesirable side effects. Electrical stimulation and optogenetics have open the possibility of repairing
neural dysfunction through direct control of brain circuit dynamics. However, both technologies require
implantable devices that are damaging to biological tissues. Minimally invasive control of cell signaling with
magnetic fields is being explored in basic studies of the nervous and immune systems. Wireless schemes based
on hysteretic heating of magnetic nanoparticles in high frequency alternating magnetic fields (AMFs) have
already permitted modulation of neural activity and cancer theranostics in vivo. Despite these advances, the
potential off-target heating effects and challenges in scaling of high-frequency AMFs apparatuses impede
universal adoption of magnetic hyperthermia in biomedical research. Here we propose a scalable magneto-
mechanical scheme for remote control of neural activity mediated by magnetic nanodiscs (MNDs). MNDs will be
fabricated by interference lithography and template-assisted physical deposition technique to produce in bulk
non-toxic MNDs with high colloidal stability. When interfaced with the cell membranes, MNDs will act as
transducers of low frequency low amplitude (20-50 mT, 5-10 Hz) magnetic fields into mechanical forces. This
technology will be applied in vitro to control neural activity in cortical neurons isolated from rat brains. Moreover,
we will investigate our technology to evoke auditory-driven fear behavior in mice by modulating neural activity in
the auditory cortex → amygdala pathway. Modulation of auditory cortex to amygdala brain circuits could allow
the development of non-invasive therapies for the management of fear and anxiety-related disorders. In contrast
to magneto-thermal approaches, the system proposed here offers straightforward scalability to large volumes,
requires significantly lower magnetic energy, and is capable of modulating cell activity without reliance on
transgenes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10644156
- **Project number:** 1R56EB031848-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO
- **Principal Investigator:** Gabriela Romero Uribe
- **Activity code:** R56 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $530,817
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-09 → 2024-09-07

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10644156

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10644156, WIRELESS MAGNETO-MECHANICAL CONTROL OF NEURAL ACTIVITY MEDIATED BY MAGNETIC NANODISCS (1R56EB031848-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10644156. Licensed CC0.

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