Engineered Neural Bridges Could Rewire Damaged Brain Circuits

Duke researchers developed LinCx, a system of engineered proteins that form targeted electrical connections between specific neurons to create a bypass around damaged brain circuits. In worms and mice, these custom electrical links strengthened communication, altered brain-wide activity, and changed behaviors related to social interaction and stress, suggesting a precision therapy for neurological disorders without external stimulation. The work, published in Nature, demonstrates long-lasting, cell-type-specific circuit edits and lays groundwork for future testing in models with genetic deficits.