Monday, May 21, 2006

The Future of Neurotechnology

Neurotechnology expert Zack Lynch explains the new field and tells us what the future holds for treating brain disorders.

By Emily Singer

Zack Lynch, Managing Director, NeuroInsights. (Courtesy of NeuroInsights.)

Despite huge leaps in our understanding of the inner workings of the brain, many of the most popular therapies for psychiatric and neurological disorders are just new versions of older drugs.

Now experts say new technologies, such as electrical stimulators, could revolutionize the treatment of brain disorders. Scientists hope that within the next 5 to 20 years, these technologies will deliver some of the most sought-after breakthroughs in neuroscience, such as a truly effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease or an alternative therapy for the large percentage of patients resistant to antidepressant drugs.

New treatments are already beginning to emerge, including brain stimulation devices to treat epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, depression, and even obesity, as well as drugs to target nerve cell growth. At the neurotechnology industry meeting in San Francisco last week, Zack Lynch gave Technology Review the lowdown on some of the new drugs and devices that are emerging from this growing field. Lynch is on the leadership board of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research and is managing director of NeuroInsights, a market analysis company based in San Francisco.

Technology Review: Why neurotechnology?

Zack Lynch: Neuroscience is now moving from a science to an industry. What we're really looking at is an evolution: researchers are now going beyond basic science and developing more effective therapeutics for brain-related illnesses.

The need is huge. One in four people worldwide suffer from a brain-related illness, which costs a trillion dollars a year in indirect and direct economic costs. We all know someone who is affected. That burden will continue to grow with the aging population. We have more people, and more people living longer -- it's a multiplier effect.

TR: Less than 10 years ago, neuroscientists made an exciting discovery. They found that the birth of new neurons, once thought to be confined to the developing brain, continues in adulthood. Now we know that that process, known as neurogenesis, may play a role in treating a number of diseases, including depression. How will that discovery affect development of new therapies?

ZL: Neurogenesis promises a potential preventative or nearly cure capability. Right now what we're doing is palliative, rather than being able to target the mechanisms and potentially regrow neurons. But it's an area that's far out. The technology is just getting started.