Bioelectronic medicine

bioelectronic medicine - personalized medicine

1. BIOELECTRONIC MEDICINE Mehak aggarwal M.Pharm (Pharmaceutics)

2. CONTENT INTRODUCTION DEFINITION WORKING ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES RECENT ADVANCEMENTS APPLICATIONS CONCLUSION REFERENCES

3. INTRODUCTION The nervous system uses electrical signals to communicate information throughout the body. Virtually every cell and organ of the body is directly or indirectly controlled by these neural signals. Our researchers are learning the language of these neural signals so that we can listen for signals of disease or injury.

4. DEFINITION Bioelectronic medicine are a tiny implanted device treating disease by changing the electric pulses in nerves to and from specific organ.

5. Bioelectronic medicine is the convergence of molecular medicine, neuroscience, engineering and computing to develop devices to diagnose and treat diseases, is at the forefront of potential revolution in disease management. Bio electronic medicine technologies are used to record, stimulate and block neural signals which will change the way we treat disease, injuries and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, paralysis, bleeding and even cancer.

6. WORKING Bioelectronic medicines work by transmitting electrical impulses along nerve fibres as against to normal generic medicines which work on molecular mechanisms. It directly modulates the natural language of the body’s nervous systems— electrical impulses and action potentials. The bioelectronic medicine opens a plethora of possibilities to cure diseases because different action nerves can be targeted to cure a wide variety of diseases.

7. WORKING

8. ADVANTAGES These implants provide targeted treatment; by controlling the neural signals going to specific organ. The d evice would minimal or with zero side effects. It will avoid or overcome the problems faced by conventional dosage forms. With merging with nanotechnology, aimed at increasing selectivity and specificity of cellular control. It could be customized for each patient to account for severity of a disease for better patient compliance.

9. DISADVANTAGES Costly process; if a single part of chip is damaged the total technique will be meaningless. E.g., bionic eye. High compact state of nerve and cardiac systems, indiscrete stimulator can lead to undesirable effects. Chances to get electrical shock. Installation of an implant may cause harm to our body.

10. RECENT ADVANCEMENTS Many devices have already came to market as wearable devices that tell you about our body. Set point developed the first self contained rechargeable bioelectronics device for placement of vagus nerve to deliver electrical doses. Google recently announced contact lens that can monitor glucose levels. Some devices work with smartphones or a computer but scientists ultimately hope that they ‘ll be able to operate automatically without wires or perhaps even batteries.

11. APPLICATIONS The integration of biomaterials with electronic elements such as electrodes, chips and transistors yield hybrid systems that may function as biofuel cells, biosensors and biocomputing devices. Bioelectronic devices have huge scientific and practical importance for basic science as well as for possible application in medicine the high technological industry, the military etc. For people with diabetes, sensor could detect in real time, if glucose levels were too high or too low. The device could modify the nerve impulse that stimulate insulin production in pancreas.

12. In cancer treatment-A breakthrough: identify that unique bioelectronic signal early on, spot the tumor before it even starts to grow or if you could manipulate and stop the cancer altogether. Bioelectronics offers an alternative. e.g., Set point medical’s product is a pill sized implantable device that regulates the immune System; once implanted the device sends electrical pulses down vagus nerve to a targeted organ to affect the activity of T-cell and effector cells such as monocyte and macrophages. 

13. CONCLUSION Bioelectronic medicine is a growing field where major advancements in treatment and diagnosing are being achieved. Therapies based on neural stimulation and application of electric fields are currently used to improve patients quality of life. However, these therapies still require a multidisciplinary approach to produce less invasive techniques. In order to achieve this, development of nanotechnology, materials and new methodologies will greatly contribute to this field offering new therapeutic tools that create great impact over the future medicine and pharmacology. 

14. REFERENCES Pavlov VA, Tracey KJ: The vagus nerve and inflammatory reflex-linking immunity and metabolism. Nat rev endocrinol 2012,8(12):743-754. Heiduschka P, Thanos S:Implantable bioelectronics interfaces for lost nerve functions prog. neurobiol 1998,55(5):433-461. Dr. Richard J M Hague: Electrochemically stimulating developments in bioelectronics medicine. A Framework for Bioelectronics, Discovery and Innovation: national institute of standards and technology. February 2009.p.42. Article of bioelectronic medicines : Technology targeting molecular mechanisms of therapy. Bioelectronic medicine : A new type of personalization.

15. A review on Bioelectronic medicine: technology targeting molecular mechanisms for therapy by P. S. Olofsson and K. J. Tracey. Endogenous Bioelectronics in Development, Cancer, and Regeneration: Drugs and Bioelectronic Devices as Electroceuticals for Regenerative Medicine. International Journal of Engineering Technology Science and Research on Smart Bioelectronics: The Future of Medicine is Electric by Dr. Thonte S.S., Omprakash G. Bhusnure , Makanikar V.G., Ovhal Pravin, Deshmukh Sagar, March 2016.