Prof. Robert Langer speaks with Kathryn Nave of Wired about the future of drug delivery. Langer explains that a problem facing medical professionals is that many drugs are not taken regularly or as prescribed, and describes how he is developing a “long-acting pill that you could swallow to release the right drug dosage for weeks.”
A new drug delivery system developed by MIT researchers may help eradicate malaria and could boost medication adherence, writes Rachel Zimmerman for WBUR’s Bostonomix. "People don't take their medicines and this might be a way, someday, for Alzheimer's patients to have much better treatments and people with mental health diseases to have much better treatments," says Prof. Langer.
MIT researchers have devised a capsule that can deliver medications over extended periods of time, and could be useful in halting the spread of malaria. The Economist notes that the device could be a “useful addition to the armory being deployed against malaria. And that, alone, could save many lives a year.”
Bob Tedeschi writes for STAT that MIT researchers have developed a device that can remain in the stomach for up to two weeks, gradually releasing medication. “The capsule represents the latest effort to solve a major flaw in drug delivery,” Tedeschi explains. “Because the human stomach clears its contents multiple times daily, pill takers must dose themselves frequently.”
MIT researchers have developed a new drug delivery capsule that can deliver medication over extended periods of time, reports Claire Maldarelli for Popular Science. Once in the stomach, the capsule opens into a star shape, which “prevents the pill from leaving the stomach and entering the small intestine.”
Researchers at MIT have developed a slow-release drug capsule that can last two weeks in a person’s stomach, writes Jamie Ducharme for Boston Magazine. “The capsule was tested for use in malaria prevention, but the researchers behind it say it could be used for virtually any condition that requires regular oral medication,” Ducharme explains.
Reuters reporter Kate Kelland writes that MIT researchers have created a new drug-delivery capsule that can stay in the stomach for up to two weeks after being swallowed. The star-shaped device could be “a powerful weapon in fighting malaria, HIV and other diseases where successful treatment depends on repeated doses of medicine.”
MIT researchers have developed a star-shaped, drug-delivery device that can stay in the stomach for up to two weeks, gradually releasing medication, reports Melissa Healy for The Los Angeles Times. The researchers believe the device could be useful in “delivering a wide range of medications for diseases in which patient non-adherence is a problem.”
Guardian reporter Amy Fleming spotlights Prof. Robert Langer’s work revolutionizing medicine. Fleming notes that “Langer’s trailblazing research in nanotechnology, which ranges from haircare to cancer treatments, has already improved the lives of at least 2 billion people.”
Popular Science reporter Sarah Chodosh writes that MIT researchers have developed a strategy to deliver beneficial bacteria to the GI tract. The researchers used layers of different sugars "to coat individual cells of Bacillus coagulans, which is used to treat irritable bowel syndrome."
Prof. Robert Langer talks to Jessica Harris from NPR about his research on tissue engineering and drug delivery, the commercialization of his discoveries, and the many companies he has started. Langer says he started his lab based off his desire to improve people’s lives by conducting research “at the interface of chemical engineering and medicine.”
Boston Magazine reporter Dana Guth writes that MIT researchers are programming harmless strains of E. coli bacteria to destroy tumor cells. Guth explains that the programmed bacteria could be ingested or injected and “could offer a new way to stave off liver cancer.”
MIT researchers have developed a programmable vaccine that could be used to respond to disease outbreaks, reports Ben Gruber for Reuters. The vaccine harnesses “messenger RNA, a genetic material that can be programmed to fight any viral, bacterial or parasitic disease by provoking an amplified immune response.”
An image created by researchers at the Koch Institute that shows red nanoparticles carrying MicroRNAs to an aggressive breast tumor is featured in the National Cancer Institute Cancer Close Up project. Washington Post reporter Laurie McGinley explains that the photographs are intended to spark public interest and encourage young people to consider a career in microbiology.
CNN’s Jareen Imam writes that MIT researchers have developed a new topical solution that can make wrinkles invisible and could potentially deliver medications to the skin. "We hope this can be used for many different things," explains Prof. Daniel Anderson. "For example, if you need it for a large area of skin you might put it on like sunscreen."