The device, which uses electricity to boost hormone production in the stomach, could help to ease nausea and counteract appetite loss. Hormones released by the stomach, such as ghrelin, play a key role in stimulating appetite. These hormones are produced by endocrine cells that are part of the en
An ingestible capsule that delivers an electrical current can stimulate the release of the hormone ghrelin. Developed at MIT, the capsule could prove useful for treating diseases that involve nausea or loss of appetite, such as anorexia or cachexia. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers
In tests in animals, the researchers showed that this “electroceutical” capsule could significantly boost ghrelin production in the stomach. They believe this approach could also be adapted to deliver electrical stimulation to other parts of the GI tract. Khalil Ramadi SM ’16, PhD ’19, a graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology who is now an assistant professor of bioengineering at the Tandon School of Engineering and the director of the Laboratory for Advanced Neuroengineering and Translational Medicine at NYU Abu Dhabi, and James McRae, an MIT graduate student, are the lead authors of the paper, which was published on April 26 in the journalThe enteric nervous system...
To test that hypothesis, the researchers used an electrical probe to deliver electrical stimulation in the stomachs of animals. They found that after 20 minutes of stimulation, ghrelin levels in the bloodstream were considerably elevated. They also found that electrical stimulation did not lead to any significant inflammation or other adverse effects.
“We were inspired by that to incorporate surface textures and patterns onto the outside of this capsule,” McRae says. “That surface can manage the fluid that could potentially prevent the electrodes from touching the tissue in the stomach, so it can reliably deliver electrical stimulation.” Inside the device are battery-powered electronics that produce an electric current that flows across electrodes on the surface of the capsule. Credit: Courtesy of the researchers
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A cutting-edge appetite stimulator was inspired by the thorny devil lizardThe research team’s ingestible device features a grooved, hydrophilic exterior designed to defer fluids away from the stomach’s inner lining.
Read more »
A cutting-edge appetite stimulator was inspired by the thorny devil lizardThe research team’s ingestible device features a grooved, hydrophilic exterior designed to defer fluids away from the stomach’s inner lining.
Read more »
Viral: ChatGPT-AI, Google tech, give voice to Boston Dynamics’ robot dogA team of programmers has outfitted Boston Dynamics' robot dog, Spot, with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Text-to-Speech speech modulation in a viral video.
Read more »
Thyroid Test: Seasonal Variation May Lead to OverprescribingSeasonal differences in one of the hormones used to test thyroid function, thyroid stimulating hormone, could in turn lead to overprescribing of thyroxine for hypothyroidism, says lab scientist.
Read more »
Oklahoma passes bill banning gender-transition surgeries, puberty blockers, and hormone therapy for minorsOklahoma's Senate passed a bill banning gender-transition surgeries, hormone therapy, and puberty blockers for minors.
Read more »
Melatonin gummies found to contain potentially dangerous levels of the hormone: studyOver 60% of surveyed adults who take melatonin use the gummy form — but a recent study suggests the contents of gummies might have dangerous levels of melatonin and even CBD.
Read more »