Alternative to injections for drug delivery

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have successfully tested an alternative to injections for drug delivery. The method delivers medicine through tiny capsules when triggered by a micro-shock wave.

Why need alternative drug delivery method?

1)      Developing methods for alternative delivery of drugs has gained importance considering the large number of infections that are spread through contaminated, non-sterilised syringes.

2)      Each year, 1.3 million early deaths are caused by unsafe injections.

Methodology

1)      The tiny bio-capsules are made of a polymer (spermidine-dextran sulfate or Sper–DS). The capsules are very small.

2)      The capsules are loaded with either insulin or the antibiotic ciprofloxacin.

3)      They are then placed on the infection site — for instance, external diabetic wounds — and are triggered by micro-shock waves produced by a handheld machine.

4)      The micro-shock waves last a millionth of a second, and affect a small area. They don’t affect living cells in the body.

5)      A controlled portion of the drug is released with every shock wave (on an average 20 per cent of the medicine is released with every wave). Almost 90 per cent of the drug releases when the particles are exposed to micro-shock waves five times.

Uses

1)      It can be used where there is a need for frequent injections for example diabetes.

2)      This method can help do away with invasive procedures.

3)      Infections by bacteria such as  Staphylococcus (cause of foot infections that people living with diabetes are susceptible to) are lethal as they form a bio-film around the protein in the cell. The shock waves tear this bio-film and aid the treatment.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/taking-the-pain-out-of-injections/article6880035.ece