Researchers from University of Texas at San Antonio and Houston Methodist Research Institute have developed a new injectable drug delivery capsule that can administer medication locally for extended periods of time. The device, reported on in Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, has approximately 5,000 microscopic channels through which a drug is pumped and a special membrane that regulates how fast the medication is delivered.
The device can be made to deliver just about any drug at a pre-programmed rate. This can be particularly useful for attacking tumors due to the localized nature of the implanted capsule, but also for other conditions in which a constant, guaranteed regimen is critical to successful management of a disease. Additionally, imaging contrast agents can also be administered via the capsule.
The device is implanted using a common percutaneous trocar, so if and when it does reach the clinic it will be easy to introduce into practice. So far it’s been tested in vivo on laboratory animals, and the researchers are already working on a biodegradable version of the device that wouldn’t require explantation. Perhaps clinical in-human studies will come soon as well.
Study in Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology: Nanochannel Implants for Minimally-Invasive Insertion and Intratumoral Delivery…
Via: University of Texas at San Antonio…
Image credit: Giacomo Bruno and Stefania Bruno
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