A research project led byTufts Universityhas developed a 3D printed pill that can sample bacteria found in the gut (also known as the microbiome) as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract when ingested. By profiling bacterial species located within the gut, researchers can increase understanding of conditions and diseases related to the intestinal microbiome that could prove significant.
As described in astudy发表在Advanced Intelligent Systemsjournal, the 3D printed pill is considered the first non-invasive diagnostic tool that can provide a profile of microbiome populations in the gastrointestinal tract., according to the researchers. Methods that are currently used to sample the microbiome primarily involve the invasive procedures of analysing fecal DNA and metabolites. These methods can sometimes prove ineffective and inaccurate, providing little information in areas where bacterial species can vary significantly.
Hojatollah Rezaei Nejad评论说：“我们拥有先进的技术来使用DNA测序分析细菌种群，但直到现在，尚未以不具有侵入性的方式在整个胃肠道中采样细菌。”塔夫茨（Tufts）的3D印刷和研究的主要作者。
“By sampling non-invasively, this pill could help us better identify and understand the role of different intestinal bacterial species in health and disease.”
Understanding and preventing diseases with 3D printing
该药丸是用微流体通道打印的3D，使其能够采样胃肠道不同阶段的能力。在药丸的表面上是pH敏感的涂层，防止药丸吸收样品，直到它绕过胃并进入小肠，然后涂层溶解。药丸中的两个腔室通过半透明的膜分开。其中一个腔室包含占据细菌的螺旋通道，而另一个腔通道则填充了钙盐。盐室有助于在称为渗透的过程中将细菌拉入螺旋通道。
Furthermore, a small magnet has been implemented within the pill, enabling the use of a magnet from outside of the body to control it. The pill can then be moved and held at specific locations in the gut for more spatially targeted sampling. “The design of this device makes it incredibly easy to use, posing little risk to the subject, yet providing so much information,” explained Giovanni Widmer, professor of infectious disease and global health at卡明斯兽医学院at Tufts University.
3 d印制药丸被置于strenuou之下s tests by Tufts researchers, both in vitro and in vivo. With their findings, the researchers concluded that the pill is able to provide an accurate identification of bacterial populations and their relative abundance. However, it has only been tested in pigs and primates thus far. Clinical trials are needed in order to determine if the 3D printed pill can be used in humans for routine clinical care.
尽管大多数人都提供了消化益处和防止疾病的保护，但在健康的肠道内存在超过1,000种细菌。但是，可能会干扰微生物组的自然平衡，这可能引起炎症，对感染的敏感性以及加剧其他疾病（例如癌症）。3D印刷的药丸有可能在研究对疾病具有有益或保护作用的特定微生物组代谢产物的研究中发挥重要作用。
“我们对肠道微生物组在健康和疾病中的作用有了很多了解。但是，我们对它的生物地理学知之甚少。
“The pill will improve our understanding of the role of spatial distribution in the microbiome profile to advance novel treatments and therapies for a number of diseases and conditions.”
3D印刷药为医学创造新的进步
Although the pill may prove significant as a non-invasive diagnostic tool, it is not the first instance where 3D printing has been utilized to produce pills with unique benefits in medicine and health.
In December 2018, a project was undertaken atMassachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) where researchers developed a3D printed pillthat collected data from inside a person’s stomach. The pills are designed to sit in the stomach for over a month, sensing the development of infection, or the body’s response to medication, and even administering therapeutic drugs.
A research team at纽约圣约翰大学on the other hand have designed and tested3D printed tabletsaimed at deterring opioid abusers from misusing pharmaceuticals. The thermoplastic tablets are 3D printed in an egg shape, which help to make it difficult to misuse strong prescription drugs.
FabRx，一家UCL纺纱公司寻求商业化3D印刷药物和设备，也开发了自己的3D printed pills。该公司正在从事一个协作项目commercialize 3D printer hardwareand materials that can produce personalized medicines for human consumption. The UK government’s Technology Strategy BoardInnovate UKhas granted over £650,000 to the project in question.
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特色图片显示了小肠中的微生物组采样药。图像通过塔夫茨大学的Nano Lab。
