Photo courtesy of UBC
The magnetic implant and a Canadian $1 coin
A tiny magnetic implant could provide a new method of drug delivery, according to research published in Advanced Functional Materials.
The device is a silicone sponge with magnetic carbonyl iron particles wrapped in a round polymer layer. It measures 6 mm in diameter.
A drug is injected into the device, which is surgically implanted in the area being treated.
Passing a magnet over the implant activates the device by deforming the sponge and triggering the release of the drug into surrounding tissue through a tiny opening.
“Drug implants can be safe and effective for treating many conditions, and magnetically controlled implants are particularly interesting because you can adjust the dose after implantation by using different magnet strengths,” said study author Ali Shademani, a PhD student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
“This device lets you release the actual dose that the patient needs when they need it, and it’s sufficiently easy to use that patients could administer their own medication one day without having to go to a hospital,” added John K. Jackson, also of UBC.
The researchers tested the device on animal tissue in the lab using the prostate cancer drug docetaxel. The device was able to deliver the drug on demand even after repeated use.
The drug also produced an effect on cancer cells comparable to that of freshly administered docetaxel, suggesting that drugs stored in the device stay effective.
The researchers are now working on refining the device and narrowing down the conditions for its use.
“This could one day be used for administering painkillers, hormones, chemotherapy drugs, and other treatments for a wide range of health conditions,” said Mu Chiao, PhD, of UBC. “In the next few years, we hope to be able to test it for long-term use and for viability in living models.”
