World’s First Graphene Brain Device Trial Aims to Revolutionize Cancer Surgery

A graphene-based brain chip, designed to transform surgical treatment of brain tumors, is poised for its first clinical trial—a step scientists are calling a significant medical advancement.

The device can identify cancer cells by detecting differences in their electrical signals compared to those of healthy brain tissue.

At the size of a postage stamp, the chip is constructed from graphene, a material 200 times stronger than steel and just one atom thick.

Originally invented 20 years ago by Manchester University scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov—who were later awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their research—graphene has since been recognized for its conductive properties.

Scientists have aimed to leverage these properties to develop innovative electrical and magnetic sensors.

However, the flexible brain chip, now being trialed at Salford Royal Hospital, is touted as a medical breakthrough.

“This is the first ever clinical trial to be performed anywhere in the world with a graphene-based medical device,” said Kostas Kostarelos, a professor of nanomedicine at Manchester University.

Developed by an international team, the brain-computer interface (BCI) chip can monitor electrical impulses within the brain, including frequencies previously undetectable.

“Its initial application will be to distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells, ensuring that brain tumor surgeries are executed with heightened precision,” Kostarelos explained.

This capability holds substantial importance, with over 12,700 brain tumor diagnoses annually in the UK and more than 5,000 related deaths.

“Anything we can do to improve these rates will be a major achievement,” Kostarelos added.

The BCI device's potential extends beyond oncology, with researchers suggesting it could aid in studying other neurological conditions like stroke and epilepsy by providing insights into the transmission of electrical signals by healthy versus diseased cells.

“This is a clinical milestone that paves the way for advancements in both neural decoding and its application as a therapeutic intervention,” noted Carolina Aguilar, co-founder of Inbrain Neuroelectronics, a global spin-off company focused on utilizing graphene in brain research and treatment.

Brain cells communicate through electrical impulses, a process central to thought, behavior, and perception.

Yet, monitoring the full spectrum of these signals has long challenged scientists.

“We can study some electrical signals emitted by brain cells, but very low and very high frequencies are challenging to detect in a living brain,” said Kostarelos.

Currently, only middle-range frequencies are accessible, whereas the BCI chip can detect a wide range, including the elusive very high and low frequencies.

For application, a small section of a patient’s skull is removed, and the wafer-thin chip—containing thousands of electrical contacts—is placed atop the brain.

The chip’s transmitters stimulate brain cells, while tiny receivers record their responses.

“Cancer cells do not respond to electrical stimulation from the chip, unlike normal neurons,” Kostarelos noted, adding that this allows surgical teams to identify neurons near a tumor.

In brain areas critical for functions like speech, this precision is essential, enabling surgeons to remove diseased cells with enhanced accuracy and confidence.

The BCI chip’s ability to detect extreme frequencies has additional implications.

In stroke and epilepsy cases, low-frequency signals are known to originate in affected brain areas, providing an unprecedented means of studying what transpires immediately post-event.

“The technology—which leverages graphene’s unique properties—not only directs surgical interventions but also unveils fundamental insights into cell behavior in diseased states,” said Kostarelos.