Shelly Fan in Singularity Hub:
As a medical doctor, my mother isn’t afraid of needles. But when she recently began injecting insulin daily for her newly diagnosed diabetes, the shots became a frustrating nuisance. A jab is a standard way to deliver insulin, antibodies, RNA vaccines, GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, and other large molecules. Compared to small chemicals—say, aspirin—these drugs often contain molecules that are easily destroyed if taken as pills, making injection the best option.
But no one likes needles. Discomfort aside, they can also cause infection, skin irritation, and other side effects. Scientists have long tried to avoid injections with other drug delivery options—most commonly, pills—if they can overcome the downsides. This month, researchers from MIT and the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk took inspiration from squids to engineer ingestible capsules that burst inside the stomach and other parts of the digestive system. The pills mimic a squid-like jet to “spray” their cargo into tissue. They make use of two spraying mechanisms. One works best in larger organs, such as the stomach and colon. Another delivers treatments in narrower organs, like the esophagus.
More here.
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