Cancer-Detecting Brain Implants Tested in 3 People

A San Francisco-based startup with connections to Elon Musk’s Neuralink has launched human testing of a brain implant designed to detect and treat cancer. The device was temporarily placed in three patients undergoing tumor removal surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, marking a critical step toward long-term implantation for brain cancer patients.

Coherence Neuro’s coin-sized brain-computer interface remained in the patients’ brains for about 30 minutes before being removed. This brief test served as an essential safety evaluation, allowing the company to assess the device’s short-term performance. All participants provided consent before the procedure.

The implant is engineered to sense the unique electrical signals emitted by tumors and deliver mild electrical stimulation to inhibit their growth. This approach builds on decades of research showing that cancerous tissue possesses distinct electrical properties. “These are electrical conditions, just like epilepsy, just like depression. This is a network problem in the brain,” explains Ben Woodington, CEO and cofounder of Coherence.

Key figures from Neuralink are involved in the project. Matthew MacDougall, Neuralink’s head neurosurgeon, serves as an adviser and investor in Coherence. Rory Murphy, a neurosurgeon at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona who participates in one of Neuralink’s trials, is also expected to join future Coherence studies.

The science behind the device dates to 2019, when Stanford University researchers discovered that aggressive brain tumors called high-grade gliomas form synapses with healthy neurons to fuel their own growth. That study found that administering a seizure drug to mice successfully interrupted these electrical signals and slowed tumor progression. Low-intensity electricity has also been shown to disrupt cancer cell division in brain tumors.

Currently, the only approved device for treating glioblastoma with electrical stimulation is Novocure’s Optune, first cleared in 2011. Optune requires patients to shave their heads and carry a battery pack in a backpack or on a hip belt. While it can extend survival by several months when worn most of the day, the inconvenience limits its use. Coherence aims to deliver the same therapy more conveniently through a fully implanted system.

The Coherence implant sits inside the skull and features 16 extending threads that penetrate brain tissue. It is designed to be placed during tumor resection surgery, when the tumor is removed. Even when surgeons achieve complete removal, glioblastoma often recurs, and the device is intended to provide ongoing protection against regrowth.

The company is initially targeting glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Patients with this diagnosis face a grim outlook: most survive only 15 to 18 months after diagnosis, with a five-year survival rate below 10 percent. Current monitoring involves an MRI every two to three months, but Woodington believes this is insufficient. “Brain tumors can suddenly become more aggressive,” he notes, and clinicians lack real-time insight between scans.

The Coherence device is designed to monitor patients continuously and deliver customized electrical stimulation. A connected app allows patients to log symptoms, which are transmitted to clinicians along with disease status and stimulation levels. Doctors can adjust therapy remotely or let the device automate the process. By detecting rapid tumor growth early, the implant could signal when surgical intervention is needed, potentially before an MRI would reveal the change.

Coherence plans to launch a trial next year in which glioblastoma patients will have the device permanently implanted, moving beyond the temporary safety checks completed in Australia.