A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina, led by professors Wubin Bai e Juan Song presented a skin patch controllable via smartphone for drug administration. This device, with an almost science fiction flavor, could radically transform the treatment of chronic diseases.
SOP technology
The patch, named Spatiotemporal On-Demand Patch (SOP), represents a significant advancement in the field of microneedle patches. Its distinctive feature is the ability to be activated via wireless signal from a smartphone or computer. Once activated, the patch heats the gold-coated microneedles, allowing them to melt on contact with the skin and release the medication painlessly in about 30 seconds.k
The Age of Programmable Drugs. – This technology opens new frontiers in drug delivery, particularly for the treatment of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's. The patch demonstrated its effectiveness in laboratory tests by administering melatonin to mice. Its potential lies in the ability to sequentially contain and release even different drugs, according to a pre-established program.
“Gold” patches for on-demand drugs: the study
The results of this research, published in the journal Nature Communications (I link them to you here) emphasize the importance of this invention in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. The ability to administer drugs in a controlled and non-invasive way, even composing treatment protocols with multiple drugs, is extraordinary. Avoiding injections or taking oral pills represents a notable advance towards a future in which the treatment of chronic diseases is simplified and less burdensome for patients.
We await future clinical developments and hope that this innovation can soon become a concrete reality accessible to all patients who can benefit from it.
