3D-printed pill samples from the gut microbiome help with diagnosis and treatment

team led by engineers at Tufts University has developed a 3D-printed pill that samples bacteria in the gut when it passes through the gastrointestinal tract (GI) - called the microbiome. Researchers say being able to analyze bacterial species in the gut is important for diagnosing and treating diseases affected by the microbiome.
According to the researchers, the 3D-printed pills described in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems represent the first non-invasive diagnostic tool to provide information about the entire gastrointestinal microbiome. Current sampling methods for the microbiome include the analysis of fecal DNA and metabolites, but this method provides little information on the upstream environment of the far-end colon, where the type of bacteria can vary significantly.
The pills have been studied to provide accurate identification of bacterial populations and are relatively widely used in vitro and in vivo, the paper said. It has been tested in pigs and primates, but clinical trials are needed to determine whether the drug can be routinely used in human clinical care.
More than 1,000 bacteria can live in the intestines. The vast majority of bacteria have a beneficial and supportive role in digestion and disease prevention. When the natural balance of the microbiome is skewed, a condition called "ecological disorder" occurs, which may be associated with inflammation, susceptivity to infection and even the deterioration of other diseases such as cancer. Increasingly, studies have revealed specific microbiome metabolites that have beneficial or protective effects on hosts.
“ We are understanding the role of gut microbiomes in health and disease. However, we know very little about its biometrics," said Sameer Sonkusale, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University School of Engineering, the study's co-author. The
is more complicated than a sponge. It is manufactured in a 3D printer with a microflow channel that samples different stages of the gastrointestinal tract. The surface of the pill is covered with a pH-sensitive coating, so it does not absorb any samples until it enters the coated dissolved small intestine (bypassing the stomach). The semi-permeable membrane separates two chambers in the pill - one containing a spiral channel that absorbs bacteria and the other containing a chamber filled with calcium salts. The salt chamber helps to create a permeable flow on the membrane, which draws bacteria into the spiral channel. Small magnets in the pill allow people to secure them to certain locations in the intestines so that more spatial target sampling can be done using magnets outside the body. Fluorescent dyes in the salt chamber help the pills locate after they leave the gastrointestinal tract.
“ The device is designed to be very easy to use, with little risk to the subjects being measured, but it provides a lot of information," said Giovanni Widmer, professor of infectious diseases and global health at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, who led the study exploring the effectiveness of pills in animal research. "Compared to other non-invasive diagnostic devices, it's like having an electrostartogram of intestinal health."
The researchers believe the technology fills an important gap in gastrointestinal diagnosis. "We have incredible techniques for analyzing bacterial populations using DNA sequencing techniques, but until now there has been no way to sample bacteria in a non-invasive way throughout the gastrointestinal tract," he said. "Through non-invasive sampling, this pill can help us better identify and understand the role of different bacterial species in health and disease," said Hojatollah Rezaei Nejad, lead author of the study and lead author of the study at Tufts' Sonkusale Lab. ”（cyy123.com）