Modifying the GI Tract for Improved Drug Delivery 3

Modifying the GI Tract for Improved Drug Delivery 3

Jan-Georg Rosenboom, Giovanni Traverso, Robert Langer

Koch Institute at MIT, MIT Department of Chemical Engineering

For infectious diseases, such as HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis, poor patient adherence to medication plans lead to 50 - 80% of treatment failure, especially in poorer parts of our world. We are working to develop ingestible drug formulations that can release drug against these diseases in a controlled fashion. Ingestion is the most preferred method of drug administration by patients.

Here we see images of gastrointestinal surfaces (Stomach and Small Intestine), where the cell surface structure has been modified to allow for improved drug uptake. The surface modification has here been made visible by a fluorescent dye, allowing us to study which parts of the GI tract have successfully been converted.

red cells on a black background with a gap in the middle

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