He is a professor at and head of the Laboratory of Organic Electronics (LOE) at Linköping University. Here, researchers have long been working to bring in electronics where this was previously not possible. Printed electronics on paper, electronic plants and an ion pump providing pain relief in exactly the right dose and in the right place are some examples of successes with global reach.
LOE also conducts world-unique research to develop a new type of medicines for treating the diseases of the nervous system and the brain. These medicines combine biochemical medicinal functions with electronic functions – hence the name ‘electronic medicines’.
“Today, several different antiretroviral medicines are used to slow the development of neurodegenerative diseases, and some symptoms can be alleviated with the help of electrodes. The latter method involves placing electronic systems directly into the nervous system through a surgical process. This is risky and the treatment usually also loses its effect after a while. We hope to be able to find a new kind of medicine that works for a longer time, and which doesn’t require brain surgery”, says Magnus Berggren.
Although the stage has been set for electronic medicines, many questions remain to be answered.
“The next step is applying our research to specific diseases and conducting clinical studies in humans within a number of years.”
