This robotic pill might replace insulin shots and navigate its way to the desired part

MIT developed a robotic pill that might be used to administer large protein drugs orally

Drug distribution has been one of the most challenging medical research discoveries, and there are still a number of obstacles, including surviving the stomach's acidic areas, digestive enzymes, and—most importantly—the mucus barrier that borders the digestive canal. MIT researchers have discovered a fresh approach. They've developed a robotic pill that might be used to administer large protein drugs like insulin orally, which are presently only available as injections and are formed of proteins or nucleic acids. The MIT-created RoboCap is equipped with a robotic cap that, once it enters the small intestine, penetrates the mucus layer and enables the medication to reach the cells surrounding the intestine.

Researchers have demonstrated that innovative pill like robots are capable of transporting both insulin and the antibiotic peptide vancomycin, which is currently given intravenously. A team developed the protective capsule to rotate and tunnel through internal body obstacles.

"I reasoned that we could directly apply the medication to the epithelium if we could drill through the mucus.", according to a statement from Shriya Srinivasan. She says that the concept is to swallow this capsule, allowing the outer layer to disintegrate in the digestive tract and expose all of the components that begin to break down and clear the mucus.

The pill includes a spinning motor on one end and the medication in a tiny reservoir on the other. It is roughly the size of a multivitamin. The capsule's gelatin coating can be altered to dissolve at a specific pH level.

The initial mucus barrier is momentarily removed by the RoboCap before local medicine dispersion is increased to enhance absorption. The ability to create the ideal environment for the medicine to be absorbed is actually maximised by combining all of these factors, according to Giovanni Traverso, a specialist in the area.

The RoboCap pill is coated with tiny pegs to sweep the mucus away, and as the capsule breaks, researchers claim that the change in pH causes a tiny motor inside the RoboCap pill to start spinning. The medicine is gradually discharged into the digestive tract thanks to the spinning motion's aid in eroding the compartment where it is stored.

The team discovered that the robotic pill could carry 20 to 40 times more medication than a similar capsule without the tunneling mechanism when they tried it on animals to inject either insulin or vancomycin. There haven't been any negative effects reported yet after the medicine is freed from the capsule, and it moves naturally through the digestive system. The team is optimistic that the robotics intervention that alters the pH at which the gelatin covering dissolves, may also be used to treat the stomach or colon.