The tablet of the future has already been created!

The tablet of the future - its effect in humans can be controlled at a distance.
The capsules are attached one to another, as in the doll. As the need for their shells may be disclosed at a time, one after the other.
For the first time in the future by introducing the capsule cells, the researchers used those affected by cancer - because of their ' extravagance '. Cancer cells inside the capsules with.
This was the age-old dream of physicians - to create the perfect pill, which began to act in the patient immediately, but at that moment, when a drug reaches the patient's body or when it's a certain physician shall: a day, week, month or even year. It looks like a dream come true. In the near future to begin clinical trials of biopolymer capsules, intended for the targeted delivery of drugs into the body. They have already dubbed the future of tablets. On the essence of the opening of its author, our compatriot, Head of Department of Materials Science biopolymers College Queen Mary University of London, Gleb Sukhorukov told Itogi.

- Gleb Borisovich, the pill of the future was a difficult past?.

- It all started almost two decades ago, even during my diploma thesis at the Physics Department of Moscow State University. I came to the chemists who were engaged in electrolyte complexes, with the idea of ​​making the finest polymer film, similar to puff pastry - the thickness of the layers that would be regulated positively, then negatively charged polymer is actually a single molecule. We now know that the properties of these films are programmed: if the film thickness, its permeability will be lower and vice versa. The behavior of the film can be controlled. If we include in its composition of a polymer that is able to grow when the pH or temperature, exposure to light, or electromagnetic field, respectively, the entire film or capsule is made ​​from it will be at a certain time to grow or shrink, absorb, or produce something, and then . The addition of the natural substances - proteins, enzymes, specific reactions can be achieved. So much so, in order to simulate an artificial cell. That is a tiny unit of different application.



- Did you mean smart shell for tablets?.

- Then I have about it and did not think. Moreover, at first there were doubts that such films do succeed in creating. Chemists have told me that from the standpoint of basic science, these subtle puff polymers can not be built, they should not be obtained. And, theoretically, they are still wrong. In an equilibrium system, such films should not really be. But the fact is that in practice, we always operate with non-equilibrium, metastable systems. From the standpoint of basic science that we do not seem to be entirely correct, but nevertheless are layered films has been possible to collect.

- When you had the idea to collect the medication from the films of the capsule?.



- It happened 12 years ago. I then defended his thesis and worked in Germany in the institutions of the Max Planck. My colleagues and I have been able to do these films on a flat surface, but do not think about their applications. And one day just decided to put them into balls, thinking that if we can learn them by other methods. And suddenly discovered that the properties of these films on the three-dimensional surface allowing them to expand, to run into something, let out again to shrink. So the idea of ​​a perfect first dawned controlled tablets. Of course, it was not easy. Encapsulate different substances, we have learned only 5 years ago.

- Already tried them in practice?.




- We have decided to enter the capsule in cancerous cells. At first it was purely a research interest. But cancer cells have, for one simple reason: because of their ' extravagance '. They grow very quickly, and in fact all that is near them or on their surface, immediately turns inside. The same thing happened with our capsules. So it turned out that they are able to get inside cells. Later, with the goals, we used a similar ' voracity ' of immune cells, macrophages. Now with the help of our capsules a U.S. company is developing in the field of immunology. The fact that there are certain proteins, antigens that do not cause an immune response, yet will not get into the cell body. We have found the solution: you can make the capsule - ' Trojan horse '. It will go into the immune cells, then under the action of enzymes or cells of any external influence polymer sheath disintegrates (this process can be programmed ), and the released proteins antigens will launch an immune response.

- How can I influence the capsule that is already in the body?.

- It turns out that much can be achieved by placing the capsule in the nanoparticles. For example, the thickness of the capsule shell 50 nanometers. Magnetic nanoparticles of 10-20 nm there is excellent fit. If the capsule with a large number of nanoparticles placed in a magnetic field, it begins to move, and really manage the movement. So it is possible to deduce from the body tissues drugs that are not needed. In another example, metal nanoparticles of gold or silver when exposed to light is well heated. If we make the capsule shell thickness of 20-30 nm, it is the result of such heating will break and when we want it, release the drug located in the capsule.

- Does this mean that the shell can be written in any of the properties?.

- Absolutely. It's like a children's designer. Using the basic principles of different assemblies of polymers, we can ' sew ' there a completely different functions, which can be set - sensitivity to the magnetic field to the light, to the acidity, the temperature, in principle, to anything. Incidentally, in experiments with cancer cells used the property of magnetic nanoparticles locally heat up under the influence of electromagnetic radiation. They took capsules with the nanoparticles, delivered them to cancer cells, and they are burned, burning swelling. If the medication was in capsule form, at which point it would be received into the body.

- In this scientific direction you have competitors?.

- In the world there are many ways to deliver drugs. Our technology has a drawback: it is more expensive than many. However, there are problems that can be solved only until we. For example, in the same cell of an organism to simultaneously deliver DNA and a specific protein or several different DNA. Now we are conducting research projects with biologists - with the help of our capsules can try to influence the differentiation of stem cells. We know that as long as it is a stumbling block for those who want to develop a cell therapy. Overseeing the process of cell differentiation is very difficult to. But we can put the capsule into the cage with the right materials that will sleep in it until it's the right time. And then vskroy capsule remotely with the same light or magnetic field.

- What is harder: to search for money to develop or adherents among doctors or biologists?.

- It is difficult both. I admit, the flow of development financing is now much reduced. If used to support the work of our laboratory was required half a million euros a year, but now we have to do less. But the main problem in another. It is much harder and more important to find the right people to team up with them. Need a doctor who is interested in the topic, which will not be afraid to work with us and set targets. For example, there is a risk of complications after surgery. And this would help with the antibiotic capsules - they can be placed in the cavity of the advance and activate only when it is needed. And if not - for a long time in small doses to withdraw the drug from the body. Now we are thinking about this possibility with doctors.

- In the near future, expect results?.

- This year in China for the first time to begin testing delivery of drugs into the body, placed in our capsules - interferons, erythropoietin. In all directions are pre-clinical animal experiments.

- Are you a representative of nanoscience?.

- Nanosciences, as such there is - a collection of methods and knowledge, I and my students always say so. Now shoot the ideas expressed thirty years ago. There were methods in biology, chemistry, physics, by which mankind has learned to ' play ' with molecules that make nanoscale structures that manage. In fact, the word ' nano ' has started 15 years ago, and earlier in the Soviet literature, the 60- 70s, they were called ' ultrafine particles ', that is, the phenomenon has been known. Just electron microscopy was poorly developed, there were no other methods of observation. Now all there was - this is the cause of the boom. This is the moment when the field was possible to do much.

Alla Astakhov.