3D printed pill to advance treatment for intestinal diseases

A team of researchers at Tufts University has 3D printed a pill that when ingested samples bacteria found in the gut as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract. According to the researchers this is the first non-invasive device to accurately assess the profile of the bacteria (microbiome) found there. Moreover, its ability to profile bacteria species inhabiting the gut could help understand conditions affecting the intestinal microbiome.

This study was published in the Advanced Intelligent Systems journal, and according to it the device created is an ingestible, biocompatible, battery‐less, 3D printed micro‐engineered pill. More than 1,000 species of bacteria inhabit the healthy gut. The vast majority of these bacteria have a beneficial supportive role in digestion and protection against disease. When the natural balance of bacteria is disturbed, it can lead to complications.

It is in an attempt to understand and prevent this that researchers are creating this pill, “We are learning quite a lot about the role of gut microbiome in health and disease. However, we know very little about its biogeography. The pill will improve our understanding of the role of spatial distribution in the microbiome profile to advance novel treatments and therapies for a number of diseases and conditions” explained Sameer Sonkusale, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University’s School of Engineering and corresponding author of the study.