Living bioelectronic patch shows promise for psoriasis treatment
Advanced electronics, living cells and hydrogel have been combined into a prototype ‘living bioelectronic’ patch that could one day treat psoriasis.
Developed by a team from Rutgers-New Brunswick, Columbia University, and the University of Chicago, the device is said to be showing efficacy in experiments in mice. The team’s breakthrough is detailed in Science.
As well as psoriasis, the patch could act as a new technology platform to deliver treatments for wounds and potentially skin cancers, said Simiao Niu, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
“We were looking for a new type of device that combines sensing and treatment for managing skin inflammation diseases like psoriasis,” Niu said in a statement. “We found that by combining living bacteria, flexible electronics and adhesive skin interface materials, we were able to create a new type of device.”
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The circular patch is about one inch in diameter and wafer thin. The patch contains electronic chips, bacterial cells and a gel made from starch and gelatin. Tests in mice showed that the device could continuously monitor and improve psoriasis-like symptoms without irritating skin.
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