CFM participates in the development of a pioneering prototype for non-invasive neuromodulation for conditions such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease

• The applied research and technological development centre has led the development of a system that guides and transports nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier and uses them to modulate the activity of target neurons with pinpoint accuracy
• The project demonstrates how non-invasive neuromodulation opens up new therapeutic possibilities and paves the way for safer, more targeted and more accessible treatments for neurological conditions
• This is a pioneering development made possible by collaborative work with Achucarro, CFM, DIPC, FBB, CUN, Bitbrain and the University of the Basque Country

CFM has participates in the development and validation of a pioneering prototype focused on ultra-precise neural stimulation through the excitation of selective nanoparticles using light and magnetic fields from outside the body. This non-invasive approach opens a new pathway for treating neurological disorders such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease without the need for surgery.

The non-invasive tools currently available—such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES)—face significant limitations in terms of spatial resolution and penetration depth. Pharmacological approaches are also often ineffective, particularly because many therapeutic compounds are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the physiological structure that regulates the passage of substances between the bloodstream and the brain, protecting the central nervous system. While this barrier plays a vital protective role, it also prevents many drugs from reaching the neural tissue where they are needed, thereby reducing the effectiveness of current treatments.

Experimental Phase

This development, led by TECNALIA under the Neumonas project, enables selective, deep, multifocal, safe neuromodulation without the need for surgery. Its potential clinical applications range from repairing brain damage to strengthening weakened neural connections. In addition, its intuitive and affordable design facilitates its use in preclinical research by integrating all modules into a single platform for rodent experimentation.

As explained by Ander Ramos, Principal Researcher in Medical Technologies at TECNALIA and Head of the Neurotechnology Focus Area, the human brain—“with as many neurons as there are stars in the Milky Way and a network of connections three times larger than the entire Internet”—can lose functionality due to conditions such as stroke or Parkinson’s disease. “The possibility of modulating its activity from outside the body, without surgery and with precision, opens up an entirely new therapeutic horizon.”

The system is based on two types of nanoparticles, designed and developed by the team of Marek Grzelczak at the Materials Physics Center- Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM, a joint CSIC-EHU center). These nanoparticles are between 100 and 10,000 times smaller than a neuron. On the one hand, gold nanoparticles convert light into heat to activate neurons. On the other hand, magnetic nanoparticles—developed in collaboration with the team of Maite Insausti at the University of the Basque Country (EHU)—convert magnetic energy into heat. Both types of nanoparticles are functionalized to facilitate their targeting to specific cells, thanks to the work of the group led by Mónica Carril at EHU and the Bizkaia Biophysics Foundation (FBB).

At the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), the team led by Aitzol Garcia-Etxarri carried out the theoretical simulations required for nanoparticle design, later validated experimentally by TECNALIA, as well as the calculations necessary to determine and control the conversion of light and magnetic energy into heat.

As Ramos emphasizes, “to facilitate the delivery of nanoparticles to the affected area, the system enables the blood-brain barrier to be opened in a controlled, precise, and reversible manner.”

TECNALIA installed the prototype at the Sols-Morreale Institute for Biomedical Research (CSIC) and validated it in mice through preclinical work conducted together with the team of Abraham Martín at the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience. Validation studies produced highly promising neuroprotective results in both stroke—reducing mortality risk and lesion volume—and Parkinson’s disease—halting disease progression and improving symptoms. According to Ramos, “the next logical and necessary step is to translate this technology to humans.”

Furthermore, in preparation for this transition, a human neuromodulation monitoring system based on high-density electroencephalography (EEG) has already been developed—with the support of the team led by Luis Montesano at Bitbrain Technologies—and validated in patients with Parkinson’s disease through collaboration with the team of Maricruz Rodríguez at the University of Navarra Clinic. The system consists of a sensor-equipped EEG cap that can be fitted and calibrated in less than five minutes and allows deep neural activity to be detected and monitored in real time.

The Neumonas Project

Neumonas is a Pre-Commercial Public Procurement initiative for the development of R&D services in the field of non-invasive neuromodulation technologies. The project is funded by the European Union (NextGenerationEU), the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and CDTI, and co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

The project consortium led by TECNALIA includes: ACHUCARRO BASQUE CENTER FOR NEUROSCIENCE FUNDAZIOA, DONOSTIA INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS CENTER (DIPC), Bitbrain Technologies, the University of Navarra – Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN), Bizkaia Biophysics Foundation (FBB), the Materials Physics Center (CFM-MPC, a joint CSIC-EHU center), and the University of the Basque Country (EHU).

The developments achieved within the Neumonas project build, among other foundations, on prior knowledge generated through the Basque Nanoneuro Network (B3N) initiative under the IKUR Strategy, a Strategic Research Project within the Basque Country Strategic Investment Plan 2022–2024, supported and funded by the Basque Government’s Department of Science, Universities and Innovation.