Publications by authors named "T Kozai"

. Intracortical microelectrode arrays often fail to deliver reliable signal quality over chronic recordings, and the effect of an implanted recording array on local neural circuits is not completely understood..

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Integration of neural interfaces with minimal tissue disruption in the brain is ideal to develop robust tools that can address essential neuroscience questions and combat neurological disorders. However, implantation of intracortical devices provokes severe tissue inflammation within the brain, which requires a high metabolic demand to support a complex series of cellular events mediating tissue degeneration and wound healing. Pericytes, peri-vascular cells involved in blood-brain barrier maintenance, vascular permeability, waste clearance, and angiogenesis, have recently been implicated as potential perpetuators of neurodegeneration in brain injury and disease.

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Nucleoporins (nups) in the nuclear pore complex (NPC) form a selective barrier that suppresses the diffusion of most macromolecules while enabling rapid transport of nuclear transport receptor (NTR)-bound cargos. Recent studies have shown that the NPC may dilate and constrict, but how altering the NPC diameter affects its selective barrier properties remains unclear. Here, we build DNA nanopores with programmable diameters and nup arrangements to model the constricted and dilated NPCs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Microglia play a crucial role in monitoring and repairing brain tissue, but their activation from electrode implantation can cause inflammation and hinder brain-computer interface performance.
  • Using two-photon imaging, researchers tested low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation to see if it could mitigate microglia-related inflammation after microelectrode implantation.
  • The treatment resulted in faster microglia movement and reduced activation, leading to less microglial coverage on electrodes and better long-term recording performance, suggesting it helps lessen the body's foreign body response.
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