Summary
Traditional bioelectronic implants for treating brain disorders usually require invasive surgical procedures. To offer a non-surgical substitute, we present a method called Circulatronics, which utilizes hybrids of immune cells and electronics. These devices are administered intravenously and autonomously navigate to inflamed brain regions, where they embed themselves and enable neuromodulation, bypassing the necessity for surgery. We developed wireless, subcellular-sized photovoltaic devices that efficiently harvest optical energy to serve as the electronic component. In mouse studies, we successfully demonstrated non-surgical implantation in inflamed neural tissue—a common target for various diseases—by chemically linking monocytes to these tiny electronic devices and injecting them into the bloodstream. We also achieved localized neural stimulation with a precision of 30 µm. By integrating electronic functions with the natural transport and targeting abilities of living cells, this technology provides a basis for self-implanting bioelectronic systems.