A variety of implants already exist that deliver drugs into the body, but most cannot be controlled externally or must ultimately be surgically removed. However, the new one uses light to avoid both problems.
The majority of existing drug delivery implants take one of two forms.
One harmlessly biodegrades over time, so there is no need to remove it, but simply administer the drug at a preset rate. This means, for example, that if a patient needs an implant to release more pain medication at a certain time, there is no way to get them to do so.
another type of implant can It can be remotely controlled by radio signal or other means, but contains non-biodegradable electronic components. This means that if the patient doesn’t want the device to stay in the body indefinitely or if it could cause problems down the road, it must be removed in a second surgical procedure.
An experimental new device developed by scientists at Chicago’s Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Northwestern University combines the best features of both types of implants.
Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
The current prototype is made of magnesium, molybdenum, and polyanhydride polymers, all of which are biodegradable, and consists of three drug-filled reservoirs, each embedded in a biodegradable battery. It has been. The anode of that battery seals the reservoir and is connected to the cathode through a phototransistor.
Phototransistors lose electrical resistance when exposed to certain wavelengths of light, shorting out the battery. As a result, the anode that seals the reservoir corrodes, allowing the drug to diffuse into the surrounding tissue.
The phototransistor in each reservoir is sensitive to different wavelengths of light, allowing the implant to release the drug three separate times. Use a different kind of light each time. Laboratory tests conducted so far have successfully used implants to release the analgesic drug lidocaine in rats. The light source consisted of three different colored external LEDs that shone through the animal’s skin and underlying tissue at the graft site.
“This technology is a breakthrough in addressing the current shortage of drug delivery systems and could have a significant and far-reaching impact on everything from the opioid epidemic to how cancer treatments are precisely delivered.” Yes,” said Dr. Colin Frantz of the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, who led the study. With Dr. Yamin Zhang of Shirley Ryan and Dr. John Rogers of Northwestern University.
A paper on this study was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Source: Shirley Ryan Ability Lab
