Scientists have created a "patch" for the intestines

Cuts, tears, abrasions and other injuriesthe outer skin is quite easy to fix. If the damage is serious, seams should be applied. In most cases, you can restrict yourself to an ordinary patch. But this approach does not work with internal organs. Although sometimes there are minor injuries that do not require major operations. For these purposes, a group of researchers from the United States created a "patch" that can heal wounds in the intestines.

Why do I need a "patch" for the intestines?

First of all, of course, he will help witha disease called "duodenal ulcer." After all, the ulcer that has opened is regularly exposed to mechanical and physical effects and heals very poorly, and the enveloping preparations act very briefly. The same is with erosion and other damage to the walls of the intestine. In addition, it is impossible to exclude the benefit of the material in the healing of joints after operations (“gluing” them from the inside) and so on.

What is a "patch" for the intestines

In fact, the word "patch" is in quotation marksnot just like that. Here it’s not so much the principle of use (measured-cut-taped), but the essence of how the “patch” itself works (closing the wound for further healing). The invention itself is a mixture of probiotic hydrogels made from mucoadhesive nanofibers. Sounds complicated? Everything is actually quite simple: hydrogels based on mucoadhesive nanofibers allow substances to “adhere” to the intestinal surface. And the word "probiotic" means that substances contribute to the growth and development of "useful" microflora.

This is a brand new and unique new type.engineered material, ”says co-inventor Dr. Neil Joshi of Weiss University. Moreover, it does not require special storage conditions. Enough conditions suitable for storing conventional medicines.

How to create a "patch for the intestines

According to scientists, to create material theyuse genetically modified non-pathogenic strains of E. coli bacteria to produce hydrogels. These hydrogels have a viscosity that closely resembles the viscosity of the mucus of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Moreover, in different sections of the gastrointestinal tract, the viscosity of the mucus is different, but bacteria can also be “programmed” differently so that the hydrogel acts exactly where it is needed.

See also: A patch instead of injections is a new type of flu vaccine.

To provide educational opportunitieshydrogels, the researchers programmed a non-pathogenic strain of the intestinal bacterium E. coli to synthesize a variant of the CsgA curli protein. It is he who is responsible for the production of mucus.

Naturally produced biofilms likeit is known that they prevent the healing processes of wounds if they are not removed on time. We essentially “hacked” one of the basic mechanisms that allows “plasters” to fulfill their function of primary wound healing. After completion of work, they "self-destruct" and do not interfere with the further regeneration process.

Not without the stage of laboratory tests. With the introduction of hydrogels to laboratory rodents through the mouth, it turned out that hydrogels are able to withstand the aggressive environment of the stomach and reach the "place of action", while retaining up to 90% of the active substance. At the same time, it became known that if live bacteria are present in hydrogels, this prolongs the period of their action due to the development of new and new mucus. Thus, by regulating the number of bacteria, you can control the duration of the "patch". The more bacteria there are, the higher it is. And vice versa.

Now scientists are aiming for a series ofhuman trials. According to the inventors, their development will help in the treatment of a number of gastrointestinal pathologies. In particular, duodenal ulcer.

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