Differential expression of genes involved in the chronic response to intracortical microelectrodes

Brain-Machine Interface systems (BMIs) are clinically valuable devices that can provide functional restoration for patients with spinal cord injury or improved integration for patients requiring prostheses. Intracortical microelectrodes can record neuronal action potentials at a resolution necessary for precisely controlling BMIs. However, intracortical microelectrodes have a demonstrated history of progressive decline in the recording performance with time, inhibiting their usefulness. One major contributor to decreased performance is the neuroinflammatory response to the implanted microelectrodes. The neuroinflammatory response can lead to neurodegeneration and the formation of a glial scar at the implant site. Historically, histological imaging of relatively few known cellular and protein markers has characterized the neuroinflammatory response to implanted microelectrode arrays. However, neuroinflammation requires many molecular players to coordinate the response - meaning traditional methods could result in an incomplete understanding. Taking advantage of recent advancements in tools to characterize the relative or absolute DNA/RNA expression levels, a few groups have begun to explore gene expression at the microelectrode-tissue interface. We have utilized a custom panel of ∼813 neuroinflammatory-specific genes developed with NanoString for bulk tissue analysis at the microelectrode-tissue interface. Our previous studies characterized the acute innate immune response to intracortical microelectrodes. Here we investigated the gene expression at the microelectrode-tissue interface in wild-type (WT) mice chronically implanted with nonfunctioning probes. We found 28 differentially expressed genes at chronic time points (4WK, 8WK, and 16WK), many in the complement and extracellular matrix system. Further, the expression levels were relatively stable over time. Genes identified here represent chronic molecular players at the microelectrode implant sites and potential therapeutic targets for the long-term integration of microelectrodes. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Intracortical microelectrodes can record neuronal action potentials at a resolution necessary for the precise control of Brain-Machine Interface systems (BMIs). However, intracortical microelectrodes have a demonstrated history of progressive declines in the recording performance with time, inhibiting their usefulness. One major contributor to the decline in these devices is the neuroinflammatory response against the implanted microelectrodes. Historically, neuroinflammation to implanted microelectrode arrays has been characterized by histological imaging of relatively few known cellular and protein markers. Few studies have begun to develop a more in-depth understanding of the molecular pathways facilitating device-mediated neuroinflammation. Here, we are among the first to identify genetic pathways that could represent targets to improve the host response to intracortical microelectrodes, and ultimately device performance.