マイクロチップで注射いらず
News Release from the American Association for the Advancement of Science on February 16, 2012.
(c) MicroCHIPS, Inc., Massachusetts, USA
右が開発中の薬物送達デバイス(左は通常のメモリースティック)
体外からワイヤレスで薬剤の放出を制御できる,体内埋め込み式の薬物送達マイクロチップが開発されている。従来の埋め込み式の薬物送達は薬が徐々に放出される形式だが,このチップでは投与をプログラムしたり,医師がパソコンや携帯電話から1回毎の投与を制御したりできる。チップには薬の入る多数の穴があり,投与の信号に応じて穴に被せた金の膜が溶けて薬が放出される。骨粗鬆症患者7名で臨床試験が行われ,本来,患者が自分で毎日注射する薬剤を注射せずに約20回投与できた。今後,365日分の薬を搭載できるチップの開発が予定されている。(吉田素子)
Science Translational Medicine: Researchers Test First Wireless Drug Delivery Microchip
Osteoporosis patients could soon ditch daily injection pens for an implantable microchip that releases medication at the push of a remote-controlled button, according to a new study appearing 15 February in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
The clinical trial, composed of a group of seven women with osteoporosis in Denmark, is the first to test a wirelessly-controlled microchip capable of releasing drugs into the body at any time.
The women received only 19 to 20 doses of the drug in the trial, but at news briefing today at the AAAS Annual Meeting, the researchers discussed their plans to develop a chip that delivers 365 days' worth of medicine.
"Patients will be freed from having to remember to take their medication and don't have to experience the pain of multiple injections," said Robert Farra, president and CEO of Microchips Inc., the Massachusetts-based company behind the device. Farra is a co-author of the study, along with colleagues from MIT, Harvard Medical School, OnDemand Therapeutics Inc., and Case Western Reserve University.
Unlike most drug delivery devices, which release small amounts of drug slowly over time, the microchip releases medication on command from an external wireless device. This controlled system gets medicine into the bloodstream quickly, similar to an injection. "Physicians will be able to seamlessly adjust their patients' therapy using a computer or cell phone," said Farra.
The authors think the microchip may be a more appealing and possibly cheaper alternative to long-term use of prefilled daily injection pens.
[単語和訳]
Translational:トランスレーショナル(基礎研究を臨床につなげることを目指した)(Science Translational Medicineは雑誌名) Researchers:研究者 Wireless:ワイヤレスの Drug Delivery:薬物送達 Microchip:マイクロチップ
Osteoporosis:骨粗鬆症 ditch:~を捨てる injection pen:ペン型注射器 implantable:埋め込み式の medication:薬剤 remote-controlled:遠隔操作の according to:~によると
clinical trial:臨床試験 composed of:~から成る wirelessly-controlled:ワイヤレスで操作される capable of ~ing:~できる
doses:~回の服用 news briefing:記者会見 ~worth of:~に相当する
multiple:複数の injections:注射 CEO:最高経営責任者 ~-based:~を拠点とした device:機器 co-author:共著者 colleagues:同僚,研究仲間
on command:命令により bloodstream:血流 similar to:~と類似して seamlessly:スムーズに therapy:治療 cell phone:携帯電話
appealing:魅力的な long-term:長期間の prefilled:充填済みの