By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    How to Combat Home Sickness After Moving Abroad
    March 19, 2023
    4 Ways to Recover from a Broken Hip
    March 14, 2023
    What Are Dietary Supplements: Purpose, Benefits, & Facts
    March 15, 2023
    5 Benefits of Receiving Acupuncture Regularly
    March 9, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Practicing Medicine Like An Elite Athlete: Competing Against Disease At The Highest Level
    January 19, 2013
    Providers: Shifting Landscape and Mindset
    April 8, 2014
    Image
    Mobile Health Around the Globe: 3D Anatomy Guide From Ireland Helps Medical Students Learn
    April 15, 2013
    Latest News
    3 Ways to Improve the U.S. Healthcare System By 2030
    March 14, 2023
    6 Steps To Ensure Speed And Efficiency Of Clinical Studies
    March 14, 2023
    5 Most Valuable Healthcare Programs in 2023
    March 8, 2023
    The Everest Foundation’s Mission to Support Inclusive Healthcare
    February 24, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Nanoparticle Pills Usher Medicine Into the Future: No More Needles!
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Latest News
mental health tips
Caring for Your Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority
Mental Health
combat home sickness
How to Combat Home Sickness After Moving Abroad
Health News
depression signs
Early Signs of Depression that You Shouldn’t Ignore
Mental Health
positive mental health
How to Build a Positive Mental Health Environment
Mental Health
broken hip recovery
4 Ways to Recover from a Broken Hip
Health
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Technology > Medical Devices > Nanoparticle Pills Usher Medicine Into the Future: No More Needles!
Medical DevicesMedical InnovationsTechnology

Nanoparticle Pills Usher Medicine Into the Future: No More Needles!

Susan Scutti
Last updated: 2013/12/02 at 9:00 AM
Susan Scutti
Share
4 Min Read
nanoparticle pill developed
SHARE

nanoparticle pill developedAlthough nanomedicine is a promising area of research, scientists have been unable to figure out a way to deliver drugs using nanoparticles other than by injection, which is both distasteful and inconvenient for patients.

nanoparticle pill developedAlthough nanomedicine is a promising area of research, scientists have been unable to figure out a way to deliver drugs using nanoparticles other than by injection, which is both distasteful and inconvenient for patients. Now, a team of researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have developed a new nanoparticle that can be absorbed through the digestive tract, allowing patients to take a pill instead of receiving injections.

“If you were a patient and you had a choice, there’s just no question,” Professor Robert Langer, of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, stated in a press release. “Patients would always prefer drugs they can take orally.” 

Like Mother’s Milk?

Ultrafine particles, or nanoparticles, are between one and 100 nanometers in size. What makes nanoparticles so interesting to scientists, particularly in the field of medicine, is the fact that the physics underlying nanoparticles means that their properties are different from the properties of the bulk material. Additionally, size and surface characteristics of nanoparticles can be manipulated. Yet, nanoparticles have not yet been available as a pill because, despite their tiny size, they are unable to penetrate the intestinal lining. This is no simple feat as the lining is made of a layer of epithelial cells that join together forming impenetrable barriers known as tight junctions.

More Read

benefits of EHR systems in healthcare

Using EHR systems in healthcare for Cost-Effective Services

Benefits of Emerging Technology in Healthcare in 2023
Healthcare SEO Tips to Grow Your Medical Practice
The Future Of Medicine: How Immunotherapy Is Saving Lives
6 Essential Strategies for Improving Your Medical Practice

“The key challenge is how to make a nanoparticle get through this barrier of cells,” Omid Farokhzad, director of the Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Biomaterials at BWH, stated in the press release. He explained how the lining is “analogous to a brick wall where the bricks are the cells and the mortar is the attachments, and nothing can penetrate that wall.” To break through the barrier, he and his colleagues based their work on previous research that explained how babies are able to absorb antibodies from their mothers’ milk in order to enhance their own immune defenses. Essentially, antibodies within maternal milk attach to a cell surface receptor called the FcRN, and this grants them passport through a baby’s intestinal lining into adjacent blood vessels. Mimicking this mechanism, the researchers coated nanoparticles with Fc proteins — the part of the antibody that binds to the FcRN receptor. After ingestion, the protein would bind to the FcRN in the intestinal lining and gain entry, bringing the entire nanoparticle with them.

For this study, the researchers demonstrated how nanoparticle pills could deliver insulin to mice. After coating the pills with Fc proteins, the team discovered that the insulin they contained reached the bloodstream 11 times more efficiently than nanoparticle pills without the coating. Most importantly, the amount of insulin delivered was large enough to lower the mice’s blood sugar levels. The team is now hoping to design nanoparticles that are able to cross other barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, which prevents many drugs from reaching the brain. “If you can penetrate the mucosa in the intestine, maybe next you can penetrate the mucosa in the lungs, maybe the blood-brain barrier, maybe the placental barrier,” Farokhzad said.

Source: Pridgen E, Farokhzad O, Langer R, et al. Transepithelial Transport of Fc-Targeted Nanoparticles by the Neonatal Fc Receptor for Oral Delivery. Science Translational Medicine. 2013.

(shutterstock)

TAGGED: nano particle pills

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Susan Scutti December 2, 2013
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article HINZ: Health IT in New Zealand
Next Article Dr. Ronan Kavanagh Discusses Video’s Role in Physician-Patient Communication

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

mental health tips
Caring for Your Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority
Mental Health March 19, 2023
combat home sickness
How to Combat Home Sickness After Moving Abroad
Health News March 19, 2023
depression signs
Early Signs of Depression that You Shouldn’t Ignore
Mental Health March 19, 2023
positive mental health
How to Build a Positive Mental Health Environment
Mental Health March 15, 2023

You Might also Like

valueable healthcare programs
News

5 Most Valuable Healthcare Programs in 2023

March 8, 2023
how technology helping nursing patient care
Medicare

7 Ways Technology is Improving Nursing and Patient Care

March 8, 2023
AI in healthcare education
Artificial IntelligenceMedical EducationPolicy & LawTechnology

Colleges Prove the Huge Benefits of AI in Healthcare Education

February 21, 2023
technology for treating OCD
Technology

The Evolution of Mental Health Technology Helps Treat OCD

February 19, 2023
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?