3D printed pill samples gut microbiome to aid diagnosis and treatment

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3D printed pill samples gut microbiome to aid diagnosis and treatment

The pill is the first known working device capable of non-invasively and accurately assessing the profile of bacterial species living at any stage of the gastrointestinal tract

A research team led by engineers at Tufts University has developed a 3D printed pill that collects samples of bacteria found in the intestine - the microbiome - as it passes through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. According to the researchers, the ability to profile bacterial species living in the intestine could have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that are affected by the microbiome.

The 3D printed pill described in Advanced Intelligent Systems is the first non-invasive diagnostic tool capable of providing a profile of microbial populations across the entire gastrointestinal tract, according to the researchers. Current microbiome sampling methods include fecal DNA and metabolite analysis, but this approach provides little information on the environment upstream of the distal colon, where bacterial species can vary considerably.

The pill has been studied and has made it possible to accurately identify bacterial populations and their relative abundance in in vitro and in vivo applications, the article states. It has been tested on pigs and primates, but clinical trials will be needed to determine if the pill can be used routinely in humans for clinical care.

More than 1,000 species of bacteria can inhabit the intestine. The vast majority of these bacteria have a beneficial and supportive role in digestion and disease protection. When the microbiome's natural balance is disrupted, a condition called "dysbiosis" occurs, which can be associated with inflammation, susceptibility to infection, and even exacerbation of other diseases such as cancer. Increasingly, research is revealing specific microbiological metabolites that have beneficial or protective effects on the host against disease.

"We are learning a lot about the role of intestinal microbiome in health and disease. However, we know very little about his biogeography," said Sameer Sonkusale, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University's School of Engineering and corresponding author of the study. "The pill will improve our understanding of the role of spatial distribution in the microbiological profile to advance new treatments and therapies for a number of diseases and conditions."

The pill is more sophisticated than a simple sponge. It is manufactured in a 3D printer with microfluidic channels that can sample different stages of the GI tract. The surface of the pill is covered with a pH-sensitive coating, so that it does not absorb any samples until it enters the small intestine (without passing through the stomach) where the coating dissolves. A semi-permeable membrane separates two chambers in the pill - one containing helical channels that absorb bacteria and the other containing a chamber filled with calcium salt. The salt chamber helps to create an osmotic flow through the membrane that attracts bacteria into the helical channels. A small magnet in the pill allows it to be held in certain places in the intestine for more targeted sampling in space by using a magnet outside the body. A fluorescent dye in the salt chamber helps to locate the pill after it leaves the digestive tract.

"The design of this device makes it incredibly easy to use, posing little risk to the measured subject, while providing so much information," said Giovanni Widmer, professor of infectious diseases and global health at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, and co-author of the study to explore the effectiveness of tablets in animal studies. "Compared to other non-invasive diagnostic devices, it's like an ECG for intestinal health."

The researchers consider that this technology fills an important gap in gastrointestinal diagnosis. "We have incredible technology to analyze bacterial populations using DNA sequencing techniques, but so far we have not had the opportunity to sample bacteria throughout the GI tract in a non-invasive manner," said Hojatollah Rezaei Nejad, a postdoctoral researcher studying new 3D printing applications in the Sonkusale laboratory in Tufts and lead author of this study. "By sampling non-invasively, this pill could help us better identify and understand the role of different bacterial species in health and disease."