Drug Release via Magnetic Membranes
Oral medications are sufficient for a variety of chemical delivery systems, but sometimes a drug requires a more precise targeting system. Enter magnetically triggered composite membranes. These membranes include highly specialized nanoparticles that can be placed within implantable devices. These implantable devices will then release their contents with the introduction of an external magnetic field. Using this approach, the drug can be administered to the local area around the device on a very specific time schedule.
The process works through the utilization of magnetic nanoparticles composed of magnetite within the membrane. With the application of an external magnetic field, the nanoparticles heat up and increase the temperature of the membrane. The additional heat causes the membrane gels to temporarily collapse, permitting the encapsulated drug to pass through. As the magnetic field is turned off, the gel cools and the membrane re-expands, isolating the remaining drug.
The device has yet to go through human trials, but gel membranes in animal experiments have shown no sign of degradation over a prolonged period of time. Even after multiple applications, dosage sizes and release rates remained consistent. Animal subjects showed no immune responses to the gel membranes, and no toxicity due to the gel membranes was recorded. The temperature required to activate the membrane is greater than any temperature the human body can naturally produce, precluding activation of membrane by a fever. This technique has great potential for patients suffering from conditions that require specific doses of a drug at a specific site on a strict schedule, such as cancer, chronic pain, and diabetes.
I found this article interesting because I have a friend with diabetes and it is highly inconvenient for her to carry around an insulin pump and monitor her glucose levels. This technology would allow for insulin to be stored inside of the body and released on demand, making the treatment of diabetes much more manageable.
I found this article at http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-09/drug-delivery-magnetic-nanoparticles
- Scott Blasczyk, VTPP 434-502
The process works through the utilization of magnetic nanoparticles composed of magnetite within the membrane. With the application of an external magnetic field, the nanoparticles heat up and increase the temperature of the membrane. The additional heat causes the membrane gels to temporarily collapse, permitting the encapsulated drug to pass through. As the magnetic field is turned off, the gel cools and the membrane re-expands, isolating the remaining drug.
The device has yet to go through human trials, but gel membranes in animal experiments have shown no sign of degradation over a prolonged period of time. Even after multiple applications, dosage sizes and release rates remained consistent. Animal subjects showed no immune responses to the gel membranes, and no toxicity due to the gel membranes was recorded. The temperature required to activate the membrane is greater than any temperature the human body can naturally produce, precluding activation of membrane by a fever. This technique has great potential for patients suffering from conditions that require specific doses of a drug at a specific site on a strict schedule, such as cancer, chronic pain, and diabetes.
I found this article interesting because I have a friend with diabetes and it is highly inconvenient for her to carry around an insulin pump and monitor her glucose levels. This technology would allow for insulin to be stored inside of the body and released on demand, making the treatment of diabetes much more manageable.
I found this article at http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-09/drug-delivery-magnetic-nanoparticles
- Scott Blasczyk, VTPP 434-502
posted by Scott Blasczyk at 8:59 PM
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