BOSTON -
Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology say a tiny chip could do away with painful injections.
"You can literally have a pharmacy on a chip," said Bob Langer, a professor at MIT.
Langer and a team at MIT have developed an implantable microchip that is controlled wirelessly and can release drugs into the body at any time.
"You can put many doses of a drug in this implant," Langer said. "As soon as you send a signal that opens up a well and out comes the drug in that well."
Scientists tested the new technology on eight women with osteoporosis. For one month the device delivered a medication for the bone disease. Results showed the implant administered the drug just as effectively as traditional injections. There were no side effects and the doses were more accurate.
The device may also help treat people with other chronic illnesses including cancer, multiple sclerosis and heart disease. Doctors would also be able to seamlessly adjust their patient's medication using a computer or cellphone.
For now, researchers are focused on developing a device that can hold more doses.
"Scientists now are designing a chip to put a year's worth of drug on this chip," Langer said.
They hope the technology will be ready for wide use in five years.
Another benefit-- patients wouldn't have the hassle of carrying medications with them and they wouldn't have to remember to take their daily doses.
Massachusetts-based MicroCHIPS funded this study.
