Good news! However, this might not be ready for prime time and it does not sound very convincing yet! E.g. how damaging is this "burrowing" when it has to be done daily and for years. Maybe this is too much robotics and mining/mechanical engineering at this point. However, I have no doubt that human ingenuity will find better solutions than the insulin shot.
"... a drug capsule that uses a robotic, tunneling head to burrow its way through the mucus in the small intestine, giving insulin a direct route to cells. ...
The difficulty in orally administering large protein drugs like insulin is tied to the inhospitable environment in the digestive tract. ...
Called “RoboCap,” the latest system consists of a capsule with a robotic cap coated in gelatin, which dissolves in response to specific pH levels in the small intestine. This closes an onboard circuit that triggers an internal motor powered by a tiny biocompatible battery, which causes the capsule to start spinning. The RoboCap is around the size of a multivitamin and was put to the test in pig intestines, where its spinning motion enabled it to burrow into the mucus barrier. This spinning action mechanically displaces the mucus barrier and simultaneously breaks down the compartment containing the drugs, enabling them to be released into cells lining the intestine. ..."
The difficulty in orally administering large protein drugs like insulin is tied to the inhospitable environment in the digestive tract. ...
Called “RoboCap,” the latest system consists of a capsule with a robotic cap coated in gelatin, which dissolves in response to specific pH levels in the small intestine. This closes an onboard circuit that triggers an internal motor powered by a tiny biocompatible battery, which causes the capsule to start spinning. The RoboCap is around the size of a multivitamin and was put to the test in pig intestines, where its spinning motion enabled it to burrow into the mucus barrier. This spinning action mechanically displaces the mucus barrier and simultaneously breaks down the compartment containing the drugs, enabling them to be released into cells lining the intestine. ..."
"... A new drug capsule developed at MIT may one day be able to replace those injections. The capsule has a robotic cap that spins and tunnels through the mucus barrier when it reaches the small intestine, allowing drugs carried by the capsule to pass into cells lining the intestine. ...
To overcome those obstacles, [a researcher] came up with the idea of creating a protective capsule that includes a mechanism that can tunnel through mucus, just as tunnel boring machines drill into soil and rock. ...
The capsule is also coated with small studs that brush mucus away, similar to the action of a toothbrush. ...
Once the drug is released from the capsule, the capsule itself passes through the digestive tract on its own. The researchers found no sign of inflammation or irritation in the digestive tract after the capsule passed through, and they also observed that the mucus layer reforms within a few hours after being displaced by the capsule. ..."
To overcome those obstacles, [a researcher] came up with the idea of creating a protective capsule that includes a mechanism that can tunnel through mucus, just as tunnel boring machines drill into soil and rock. ...
The capsule is also coated with small studs that brush mucus away, similar to the action of a toothbrush. ...
Once the drug is released from the capsule, the capsule itself passes through the digestive tract on its own. The researchers found no sign of inflammation or irritation in the digestive tract after the capsule passed through, and they also observed that the mucus layer reforms within a few hours after being displaced by the capsule. ..."
From the abstract:
"Oral drug delivery of proteins is limited by the degradative environment of the gastrointestinal tract and poor absorption, requiring parenteral administration of these drugs. Luminal mucus represents the initial steric and dynamic barrier to absorption. To overcome this barrier, we report the development of the RoboCap, an orally ingestible, robotic drug delivery capsule that locally clears the mucus layer, enhances luminal mixing, and topically deposits the drug payload in the small intestine to enhance drug absorption. RoboCap’s mucus-clearing and churning movements are facilitated by an internal motor and by surface features that interact with small intestinal plicae circulares, villi, and mucus. Vancomycin (1.4 kilodaltons of glycopeptide) and insulin (5.8 kilodaltons of peptide) delivery mediated by RoboCap resulted in enhanced bioavailability 20- to 40-fold greater in ex vivo and in vivo swine models when compared with standard oral delivery (P < 0.05). Further, insulin delivery via the RoboCap resulted in therapeutic hypoglycemia, supporting its potential to facilitate oral delivery of drugs that are normally precluded by absorption limitations."
Breaking through the mucus barrier A capsule that tunnels through mucus in the GI tract could be used to orally administer large protein drugs such as insulin.
RoboCap: Robotic mucus-clearing capsule for enhanced drug delivery in the gastrointestinal tract (open access)
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