There’s no cure for arthritis, but there are many treatments that can help slow it down. Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis aims to slow the condition’s progress and minimise joint inflammation. A new study has found a surprising body part could be key for future treatments for arthritis.
The sutrode, created using the fabrication technique known as fibre wet spinning, combines the electrical properties of an electrode with the mechanical properties of a suture.
“The flexibility and superb sensitivity of the sutrode is allowing us to expand our understanding of how the nervous system controls main body organs, a critical step towards developing advanced therapies in bioelectronic medicines,” reports Romero-Ortega.
He continued: “Our collaborative work uncovered that the spleen is controlled by different terminal nerves, and that the sutrode can be used to control them, increasing the precision in which the function of this organ can be modulated.”
Professor Gordon Wallace, a co-author on the paper, said the sutrode can be integrated with delicate neural systems to monitor neural activity.
He added: “This work has widespread implications for regulating the function of the spleen, particularly the efficient regulation of the immune response for electroceutical treatment of range of diseases.
“We have highlighted the ongoing need to develop systems with increased fidelity and spatial resolution.
“This will not only bring practical applications to the forefront but will enable the unattainable exploration of the human neural system.”
The spleen is a site where immune responses can be regulated offering hope for future treatment for arthritis.
The research also reveals the ability to simultaneously interrogate the four individual neural inputs into the spleen.
This new technical and biological achievement will not only bring about practical applications, but also enable a previously unattainable exploration of the human neural system.