Breakthrough brain implant from NYU Abu Dhabi enables safer, more precise drug delivery

(Press-News.org) Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have developed a new type of brain implant that can deliver drugs to multiple regions of the brain with high precision, offering fresh possibilities for the treatment of neurological disorders.

The device, called SPIRAL (Strategic Precision Infusion for Regional Administration of Liquid), is a thin, flexible tube designed to release medication at several points inside the brain. This approach allows doctors and scientists to reach larger and more complex areas of brain tissue than current tools, while still keeping the implant small and minimally invasive. The research was led by Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Tandon Khalil Ramadi and his team.

“Neurological disorders often come from very specific regions of the brain, but our current tools for targeting these areas are limited,” said Ramadi. “SPIRAL allows us to reach several regions at once without adding extra risk, which could change how we deliver therapy for these conditions.”

Published in the Journal of Neural Engineering, the study shows how SPIRAL uses carefully designed openings along its structure to release medication in a controlled way. The team combined advanced computer modeling with extensive laboratory testing to confirm the device’s safety and effectiveness.

Importantly, the implant did not cause higher levels of inflammation compared to standard devices, suggesting it could be safely used for long-term treatment.

“Our design solves a big problem with existing brain implants, which usually deliver drugs from just one or two points,” explained NYUAD Research assistant and Co-Lead author Batoul Khlaifat. “SPIRAL makes it possible to distribute drugs more evenly and across larger regions, while still being safe and minimally invasive.”

“When diseases like glioblastoma advance, treatment often means delivering drugs straight into a large volume of the brain to bypass the blood-brain barrier. Our helical form with tuned, evenly spaced outlets lets us cover more tissue from one insertion. By using CFD to set port diameters for equal flow, we create a platform that could translate to drug delivery in other solid organs,” said NYUAD alum Mahmoud Elbeh, currently a PhD candidate at Ramadi lab.  

Looking ahead, SPIRAL could also be adapted to provide electrical stimulation or other advanced therapies, potentially benefiting people with conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological disorders.

In addition to Ramadi, co-authors include Shreya Manjrekar, Seung-Jean Kang, Yusheng Zhang, Parima Phowarasoontorn, Sadaf Usmani,Abdel-Hameed Dabbour, Heba T Naser, Hanan Mohamed, and Minsoo Kim. The work was supported by the NYUAD Research Institute Award to the Research Center for Translational Medical Devices (CENTMED).

NYU Abu Dhabi is ranked number one in the UAE for publications in the world’s top science journals (Nature Index). The University has established more than 90 faculty labs and projects, producing over 9,200 internationally recognized research publications. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the world’s top 31 universities, making NYUAD the highest globally ranked university in the UAE.

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