Could rewiring brain circuits help improve stress resilience and treat neurological disorders?
Scientists at Duke University School of Medicine have developed a groundbreaking technology that may allow researchers to rewire brain circuits with remarkable precision, potentially opening new treatment pathways for stress-related and neurological disorders. ()
LinCx Technology Creates New Brain Pathways to Boost Communication
The new system, called LinCx, acts like a biological “wire” that creates fresh electrical connections between selected neurons. Instead of repairing damaged brain pathways, the technology builds an alternative route that helps neurons communicate more effectively.
Researchers say disrupted brain circuits are linked to conditions such as depression, autism, and neurodegenerative diseases. Current approaches like medication, electrical stimulation, and optogenetics often affect large groups of brain cells at once. LinCx, however, was designed to target specific neural circuits with cellular-level precision.
Fish-Derived Proteins Help Scientists Build Precise Brain Connections
The technology was developed using proteins originally found in fish that naturally form electrical synapses. Scientists engineered these proteins so they connect only with matching designed partners and avoid interacting with normal brain proteins. This allowed the team to create stable, selective electrical pathways between neurons.
LinCx Alters Stress and Social Behaviors in Animal Studies
In animal studies, the researchers tested LinCx in both worms and mice. In worms, the added connections altered temperature-seeking behavior. In mice, the engineered pathways strengthened communication within targeted circuits and changed stress-related and social behaviors. Researchers also observed shifts in brain-wide activity patterns.
Lead researcher Dr. Kafui Dzirasa said the technology represents a major advance in editing brain circuitry and understanding how neural networks shape behavior. The team believes the approach could one day help overcome synaptic deficits caused by lifelong genetic disruptions.
The findings were published in the journal Nature.
References:
- Long-term editing of brain circuits using an engineered electrical synaps – (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10501-y)
Source-Medindia