[ad_1]
Scientists have developed a pill that can replace insulin injections for patients with type 2 diabetes.
The blueberry-sized capsule contains a small compressed insulin needle, which is infused once the tablet reaches the stomach.
When tested on animals, a group of researchers led by MIT showed that they could deliver enough insulin to lower blood sugar levels to levels comparable to those produced by the doses administered by the skin.
The device, detailed in an article published this week by the journal Science, could also be adapted to administer other protein drugs.
"We really hope that this new type of capsule will one day help diabetic patients and perhaps those who need treatments that can now be administered only by injection or infusion," said Robert Langer, co-author of the Institute for Integrative Research on Cancer of MIT, said in a statement.
In 2014, Langer, guest scientist Giovanni Traverso, and their colleagues have come up with a similar pill, covered with many small needles that can inject drugs into the lining of the stomach or small intestine.
Since then, they have reduced this motif to a single needle, attached to a source, held in place by a sugar disc. The idea is that once swallowed, the water in the stomach dissolves the sugar, releases the source and injects the needle into the wall of the stomach.
There are no pain receptors in the lining of the organ, so patients should not feel anything.
An inspiring leopard tortoise, who can stand up straight if she rolls on her back, the researchers have designed their system so that, no matter what the position of the capsule, it can s & rsquo; Self-orientate so that the needle is in contact with the wall of the stomach.
"As soon as you take it, you want the system to correct itself so you can make contact with the fabric," Traverso said.
"In addition, if a person was moving or the stomach was growling, the device would not move in the orientation that he preferred," said Alex Abramson, MIT graduate student and first author.
Once injected, the insulin dissolves at a predetermined rate, controlled by scientists who prepare the capsule.
Most cases of diagnosed diabetes (75 to 85%) are clbadified in type 2 and usually occur later in life (hence its "adult" title) when the body stops producing enough insulin to meet the growing demand for weight gain.
More on Geek.com:
[ad_2]
Source link
