Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;��Medical Devices / Diagnostics;��Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 18 Feb 2012 - 0:00 PST
email to a friend � 
printer friendly � 
opinions �
Current Article Ratings:
| Patient / Public: |  | 5 (1 votes) |
| Healthcare Prof: |  |
Osteoporosis patients could soon ditch daily injection pens for an implantable microchip that releases medication at the push of a remote-controlled button, reports a new study appearing in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
The clinical trial, composed of a group of women with osteoporosis in Denmark, is the first to test a wirelessly controlled microchip capable of releasing drugs into the body at any time.
"Patients will be freed from having to remember to take their medication and don't have to experience the pain of multiple injections," said Robert Farra, President and Chief Operating Officer of MicroCHIPS, Inc., the Massachusetts-based company behind the device. Farra is a co-author of the study, along with colleagues from MIT, Harvard Medical School, OnDemand Therapeutics Inc and Case Western Reserve University.
Unlike most drug delivery devices, which release small amounts of drug slowly over time, the microchip releases medication on command from an external wireless device. This controlled system gets medicine into the bloodstream quickly, similar to an injection.
"Physicians will be able to seamlessly adjust their patients' therapy using a computer or cell phone," said Farra.
The authors figure the microchip may be a more appealing and possibly cheaper alternative to long-term use of prefilled daily injection pens.
Patients with severe osteoporosis often have to give themselves daily injections of medication that requires refrigeration. Aside from the psychological burden of daily injections, older people may have arthritis or other problems that make injections physically difficult.
Moreover, since osteoporosis is a "silent" disease - affected individuals don't feel better or worse as their bone density decreases - many patients simply stop taking medication to avoid the hassle of daily injections.
The implant could help circumvent the high drop off in compliance and dramatically boost the quality of life for millions of osteoporosis patients. The device may also be useful for treating other chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis, heart disease or even cancer.
Roughly the size of a pacemaker, the device holds daily doses of a drug inside tiny wells that pop open either on a pre-programmed schedule or via a wireless signal.
"The drugs are in different wells. Each of these wells is covered by a nano-thin layer of gold which protects the drug for years if needed and prevents it from being released," said Robert Langer, Professor at MIT and co-author of the Science Translational Medicine paper.
Sending a wireless signal to the well causes the gold to dissolve, freeing medication into the bloodstream.
Adapting microchip technology for human use is no small feat. The team first had to figure out a way to seal each reservoir airtight at room temperature. They developed a special compression welding process designed to provide a long-term seal. The researchers also developed the gold layer, which is strong enough to protect the contents of each reservoir, but thin enough to dissolve on command.
Despite the microchip's proven ability to deliver drugs in the lab, once it was implanted into animals, a fibrous collagen-based membrane tended to develop around the device.
The researchers were concerned that this fibrous tissue could potentially slow down the absorption of medication, and one of the aims of this study was to determine if the membrane decreased effectiveness.
The researchers implanted the microchip just below the waistline, into seven women between the ages of 65 and 70. The procedure can be performed in a doctor's office with local anesthetic.
Tracking the women for 12 months, the team showed that the implant delivered the drug teriparatide just as effectively as daily injections, although the fibrous membrane did form around the device. Treatment improved bone formation and reduced the risk of bone fracture, as evidenced by the presence of biochemical markers signaling bone formation, bone mass and bone resorption.
"And there is much less variation from dose to dose than injections, so it's safer and more effective in that sense," Langer said. The chip was removed from participants at the end of the one-year treatment.
The company hopes to make the device available for mainstream use in five years.
Visit our bones / orthopedics section for the latest news on this subject.
MLA
American Association for the Advancement of Scienc. "Implantable Microchip Delivers Medicine To Women With Osteoporosis." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 18 Feb. 2012. Web.
20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241798.php>
APA
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
| Rate this article: (Hover over the stars then click to rate) | Patient / Public: | or | Health Professional: |
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.
Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241798.php
health and fitness tips health questions and answers women in health health checks for women
No comments:
Post a Comment