What if the combination of stem cell research, bioengineering and biocomputing could help patients with neurological damage? Researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the University of Southern California (USC) are embarking on a research initiative to explore that very possibility.

With a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program, the researchers are plotting a four-year research initiative that will integrate principles from neuroscience, bioengineering, and stem cell biology. Under the guidance of Dr. An Do, Associate Professor of Neurology at UCI, the team’s goal is to bioengineer three-dimensional neural networks capable of replicating the self-learning capacity of healthy brain tissue.

Toward biocomputers that can learn

This research will aim to create functional 3D neural networks from adult stem cells, potentially capable of integrating with the human brain and restoring lost function. By combining advanced biofabrication techniques with neural network training, the team envisions developing “intelligent” biocomputers that can learn and adapt. If they can pull it off, the research could hold promise for treating an array of neurological conditions.

“The program will support the scientific research necessary to establish the foundations for future patient-treatment applications,” said Dr. An Do, associate professor of neurology at UC Irvine, the study’s principal investigator, in a press release.

In loosely related news, Cell Reports Physical Science, recently described adaptable smart materials capable of playing the retro video game Pong.  “Ionic hydrogels can achieve the same kind of memory mechanics as more complex neural networks,” said first author and robotics engineer, Vincent Strong of the University of Reading, in describing the research. “We showed that hydrogels are not only able to play Pong, they can actually get better at it over time.”

Testing the tech: From healthy volunteers to epilepsy patients

In their research, the scientists intend to develop methods to print 3D networks of neural stem cells, create artificial blood vessels to support their growth, and establish bidirectional communication between cultured brain cells and the living human brain. Initial studies will involve able-bodied volunteers and epilepsy patients. The ultimate goal will be translating the findings to benefit stroke patients and others with neurological damage.

The researchers ultimately plan on expanding the research to include epilepsy patients with implanted electrodes. They aim to test whether cultured cells can learn and grow in response to brain signals recorded by these electrodes, for instance, while a person performs a motor task with their hands. The researchers will then investigate whether these cultured cells can, in turn, send signals back to the brain. This step will help determine if the bioengineered neural networks can integrate with the living brain and establish bidirectional communication, paving the way for potentially new therapies for stroke patients and individuals with other neurological conditions.