American scientists have made a breakthrough in nanomedicine
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specialists are actively developing new-generation drugs that will contain a tiny capsule containing the active substance. Such medications have the ability to pass through the internal barriers of the body, for example, through the intestinal mucosa.
Studies carried out on laboratory mice have shown that a nanoparticle with insulin is able to effectively lower blood sugar. Unfortunately, at present human insulin in nanoform is not available and patients suffering from diabetes should make an insulin injection themselves, in some cases several times a day.
Scientists expect that the nano-drugs of the future generation will be able to penetrate without difficulty the barriers that surround the internal organs of man. Thus nanoparticles can be used for transportation of a medicine through other cellular barriers surrounding human organs, for example to the brain, lungs, etc. Nanomedicines have the structure of a hollow synthetic sphere where the active substance is placed inside, sprayed, or attached to the surface. Nanomedicine opens up new ways for doctors to treat many chronic diseases that require daily therapeutic procedures.
More recently, scientists have not been able to achieve that the nanoparticles penetrated through the cellular barriers of the intestine. Advantageously, the existing nanopreparations were used as injections. But drawing attention to how small children receive antibodies from the mother from breast milk to form and develop their own immunity, they still managed to solve this problem. Antibodies from the mother's milk are connected with the "receptor" molecules in the intestine, and this is the very path that allows to penetrate directly into the blood vessels.
Experts suggest that in the future, nano-drugs can effectively combat such serious diseases as diabetes or cancer. Such drugs will become a worthy substitute for the currently existing drugs. As the head of the research team Omid Farokhzad noted, the discovery of this kind gives great prospects for the possibilities of nanomedicine.
Traditional medicines, which humanity has been using for several decades, with the circulatory system fall not only in the lesion, but also in all organs and cells of the body. As a result, from side effects, side reactions can develop. The effect of nanopreparations is directly opposite to traditional medicines: they work at the level of certain cells, they can be purposefully directed to the necessary organ, tissue or group of cells. This significantly reduces the dose of the drug and virtually eliminates adverse reactions. Nano-drugs have low toxicity and, at the same time, high efficacy of treatment. There are such preparations from two components: active substance and a special capsule, in which the drug is delivered to the intended use.
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