The oral administration of insulin has been a hotly investigated research topic since decades. The main obstacle in administering the drug in pills is that stomach acids brake down the drug before it can take effect. As a recent study in Science claims, a team from MIT and Harvard has now developed a capsule containing a small needle made of compressed insulin, which is injected after the capsule reaches the stomach. In tests in animals, the researchers showed that they could deliver enough insulin to lower blood sugar to levels comparable to those produced by injections given through skin. They also demonstrated that the device can be adapted to deliver other protein drugs.
Description about the study in The Mathematical Intelligencer:
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