Bioinspired, ingestible electroceutical capsules for hunger-regulating hormone modulation.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Bioengineering
• Neuroendocrinology

Background:

• The gut-brain axis regulates physiological functions, but current modulation methods have risks.
• Electrical stimulation of the GI tract often requires invasive procedures.
• Stimulating mucosal tissue is difficult due to luminal fluid interference.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel ingestible device for non-invasive gut-brain axis modulation.
• To overcome challenges in stimulating GI mucosal tissue.
• To achieve systemic modulation of gastrointestinal hormones.

Main Methods:

• Development of a bioinspired, fluid-wicking ingestible capsule (FLASH).
• Characterization of stimulation parameters for GI hormone modulation in a porcine model.
• Application of parameters to the ingestible capsule system for oral administration.

Main Results:

• The FLASH capsule effectively wicks fluid and stimulates mucosal tissue.
• Systemic modulation of an orexigenic GI hormone was achieved.
• The device was safely excreted in porcine models without adverse effects.

Conclusions:

• The FLASH capsule offers a non-invasive approach to modulate the gut-brain axis.
• This technology has potential applications in treating metabolic, GI, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
• The bioinspired design overcomes previous limitations in GI electrical stimulation.