Sticky Microdelivery System for Drugs

A new drug delivery system, designed to avoid the drawbacks associated with oral drug delivery, "sticks” to the membranes of cells lining the human gut, ensuring direct delivery to target sites. The system is described in the March 7, 2003, issue of the Journal of Controlled Release.

Based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), the tiny wafer device measures twice the width of a human hair. It carries reservoirs engineered to hold picoliter volumes of drugs that can be dispensed at a pace that maintains drug concentration. A thin, flat profile maximizes contact with the cell membrane and minimizes contact with denaturing enzymes found in intestinal fluids. The wafer is made of poly(methyl methacrylate), or PMMA, a biocompatible polymer. Plant lectins are used to make the wafer "sticky.”

The system was designed by Tejal Desai, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University (MA, USA). "This work has shown that bioMEMS devices with bioadhesive surfaces can be constructed using microfabrication techniques,” said Dr. Desai. "I am excited by the potential this holds for the development of platforms serving a number of new drug delivery applications.”