MIT researchers develop skin patch for painless transmission of drug into body

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States have created a new wearable patch that uses ultrasonic waves to increase skin permeability for drug delivery. Skin has long been considered a potential route for drug delivery, but its outer layer poses a significant barrier to most small-molecule drugs. However, by using ultrasonic waves, the researchers at MIT were able to create tiny channels in the skin that can enhance its permeability, providing a more targeted and effective way of delivering drugs, a published report by MIT said.

The patch is made of a silicone-based polymer that sticks to the skin without the need for tape and contains several disc-shaped piezoelectric transducers that can convert electric currents into mechanical energy. These transducers generate pressure waves in a fluid containing dissolved drug molecules, which creates bubbles that burst against the skin. The bursting bubbles create microjets of fluid that can penetrate the skin's outer layer, allowing drugs to be delivered more focused and efficient.

In tests using pig skin, the ultrasonic patch was shown to be 26 times more effective in delivering a B vitamin called niacinamide compared to delivering the same drug without the patch. The patch also delivered the same amount of niacinamide in just 30 minutes, six times faster than the micro-needling technique, where miniature needles puncture the skin.

The current version of the patch can penetrate a few millimetres into the skin, making it useful for drugs that need to act locally within the skin, such as those used to treat age spots or heal burns. However, by modifying the patch to increase its penetration depth, it could be used for drugs that need to reach the bloodstream, such as caffeine, fentanyl, or lidocaine.

According to Canan Dagdeviren, an associate professor at MIT's Media Lab and senior author of the study, "Delivering drugs this way could offer less systemic toxicity and is more local, comfortable, and controllable." The team is now working on optimising the patch for human testing and exploring the possibility of implanting similar devices inside the body to deliver drugs to treat diseases like cancer.

The study was funded by various organisations, including the National Science Foundation, Texas Instruments Inc., and the MIT Media Lab Consortium. The paper's lead authors are Chia-Chen Yu and Aastha Shah, both research assistants, along with other researchers from MIT and the University of Buffalo. The study appears in Advanced Materials as part of the journal's "Rising Stars" series, showcasing outstanding researchers' work in the early stages of their independent careers.