If you're one of the many adults who dread needles, there may be hope on the horizon. Inspired by squids' high-pressure liquid jets, scientists have created a needle-free device designed to inject drugs into organs deep within the body.
"Needles necessitate specialized training for administration, pose challenges with safe disposal, and carry the risk of needle-stick injuries, whether used externally or for deeper, internal applications," explains Giovanni Traverso, a translational engineering researcher at MIT. To circumvent these risks and challenges, Traverso and his team developed a microjet device that employs pressure to deliver drugs such as insulin into various organs. Similar to the contractions squids use to propel liquid through their siphons, this device can accurately direct liquid in different directions based on the target organ, as reported by the team on November 20 in Nature.
Approaching vital organs requires the microjet to be attached to either a tethered or free-floating device within a capsule that navigates the gastrointestinal tract. While other teams have been working on ingestible devices for drug delivery, many still rely on needles. Integrating these tiny robotics with microjets presents a safer alternative.
"One of the most challenging aspects was fine-tuning the balance between jet force and safety," Traverso notes. The team utilized a capsule around the microjet that dissolves at a specific pH, enabling the microjet to target certain body parts where the corresponding pH is present. They successfully administered drugs into the stomach, colon, esophagus, and other organs by adjusting the jet pressure—depending on the tissue's delicacy and thickness—and allowing gravity to assist. Testing on pigs and dogs revealed no safety concerns.
"This is the first study to demonstrate the use of microjets for drug delivery into the gastrointestinal tract," says Samir Mitragotri, a drug delivery researcher at Harvard University who was not involved in the research. "Overall, this is a highly innovative design."
While these microjets show potential, they still have a long journey ahead before being used in humans. Future research will likely explore how these devices can target specific tissues, such as tumors or fibroses. Researchers will also need to ensure that repeated microjet injections at the same site do not pose safety risks.
Until then, those who fear needles will continue to rely on deep-breathing and distraction techniques when visiting the doctor.
Source link: https://www.sciencenews.org
