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Research at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio found that bacteria can invade the brain after the implantation of medical devices such as brain implants used to restore the function of patients with paralysis, epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
Some bacteria found in the brain were also associated with neurological diseases/Photo: Reproduction/Unsplash
According to the study, published in the magazine Nature Communicationsthe transition from bowel bacteria can contribute to inflammation and reduce the effectiveness of the device in the long run. Now that the problem has been identified, implants may be more successful.
“Understanding the role of bacteria in implant performance and brain health can revolutionize the way these devices are designed and maintained,” explains Jeff Capadona, the university’s vice-rector of innovation.
For research, the presence of bacterial DNA in mice brains implanted with microelectrodes was examined. With this, scientists found bowel bacteria inside the brain. The discovery suggests that the deployment of the device may allow microbes to enter.
“This is a discovery that changes the paradigm. The field has focused on the body’s immune response to these implants, but our research now shows that bacteria – some originates of the intestine – are also playing a role in inflammation around these devices,” says George Hoeferlin, the main author of the study, in text published on the site published on the site published on the site EurekAlert!.
Some antibiotic -treated mice showed a reduction in bacterial contamination and the performance of the deployed devices improved. However, prolonged use of antibiotics was harmful.
In addition, some bacteria found in the brain were associated with neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson. “This discovery highlights the urgent need to develop a permanent strategy to prevent the bacterial invasion of implanted devices, rather than just managing inflammation after the fact,” says Jeff Capadona.
The team also examined a fecal article of a person implanted with a brain device and found similar results. The laboratory will now expand research to examine bacteria in other types of brain implants, such as ventricular derivations used to treat hydrocephalus.
