Harvard researchers have successfully integrated nano-electrodes into a three dimensional tissue sample, creating human skin with electronic nerves.
According to the
Harvard Gazette,
Doctor Kohane, one of the creators, said, ““In the body, the
autonomic nervous system keeps track of pH, chemistry, oxygen, and other factors, and triggers responses as needed. We need to be able to mimic the kind of intrinsic feedback loops the body has evolved in order to maintain fine control at the cellular and tissue level.”
While we may it may be awhile until we have terminators prowling the streets, this discovery represents a huge leap forward in bio-engineering and has several immediate potential uses in
pharmacology, where testing is currently only done on 2D cultures.
The system may one day be able to monitor subtle changes in the body and react
accordingly through
electrical stimulation or release of a
drug.
