Innovations in drug delivery never stop, and over the past 12 months or so a wide variety have been in the spotlight. Constant progress continues in the diabetes space, both in the form of insulin delivery and other drug delivery methods. Elsewhere, we see implants, patches, syringes and more showcasing the many ways we can […]
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Researchers develop wearable patch for painless drug delivery through the skin
Researchers at MIT hope to address the difficulties of transdermal drug delivery through a new wearable patch. The MIT team sees the skin as an appealing route for drug delivery. It enables the drugs to travel directly to the necessary site, which offers benefits in wound care, pain relief and more. However, the tough outer […]
MIT researchers think microparticles could deliver ‘self-boosting’ vaccines
MIT researchers are touting microparticles that can deliver payloads at different points, potentially creating “self-boosting” vaccines. A new study, highlighted on the institute’s news website, demonstrates a way in which researchers could design vaccines that would need to be given just once before they “self-boost,” or essentially re-deliver the therapeutic, at a specified point in […]
MIT researchers study the best size for nanoparticles to stop internal bleeding
MIT researchers are examining how different-sized polymer nanoparticles circulate in the body, with a goal of treating traumatic injuries. Researchers are developing injectable nanoparticles that can attract cells to help stop the bleeding at the site of an internal injury until a patient can get to a hospital for treatment. To highlight the mechanism of […]
MIT team working on all-in-one diabetes management devices
MIT researchers are touting a platform aimed at helping patients maintain healthy glucose levels by streamlining the diabetes management process. The MIT researchers say it’s hard for people with diabetes to maintain a treatment regimen. Typically at every meal, they need to estimate carbohydrate content, draw blood to measure blood glucose levels, and calculate the […]
Novo Nordisk Foundation, Harvard, MIT launch research center with focus on diabetes
The Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have launched an initiative to gain insights into disease mechanisms. To accelerate efforts to mine genetic data for insights into mechanisms — and eventually rationally design treatments — the trio of entities launched the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease based […]
This coin-sized smart insulin patch could monitor glucose for diabetes management
Researchers at three universities have developed a smart insulin-delivery patch that has the potential to also monitor and manage glucose levels in people with diabetes. The adhesive patch was developed by a team of researchers and bioengineers from UCLA, the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is […]
6 ways hydrogels are enabling medtech innovation
Hydrogels are water-based biomaterials developed specifically for human use, according to a Biomaterials journal article. They are a water-swollen polymeric material that doesn’t change its distinct 3D structure. They are formed from super-absorbent, chain-like polymers and are not soluble in water. However, their porous surface allows for nutrients and cell waste to pass through. They have shown the […]
Fibrosis: How to prevent it in medical device implants
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have discovered a way to prevent fibrosis from forming around medical device implants by blocking certain cells. The body’s immune system usually attacks implanted medical devices that are used for drug delivery, sensing or tissue regeneration. Defense cells in the body try to isolate the […]
New material illuminates when exposed to chemicals on the body
MIT engineers and biologists teamed up and designed a living-cell-injected hydrogel that can illuminate when exposed to certain chemicals. The MIT team made wearable sensors using the hydrogel with living cells that lit up after touching a surface with certain chemicals. The new material has the potential to detect chemicals in the environment and the […]
