Artificial breastmilk could form basis for future oral meds and vaccines

Article By: John Jeffay, Israel 21C

Published On: February 27

Israelis develop ‘milkosomes,’ artificial particles based on human milk that can deliver drugs across the intestinal barrier to the bloodstream

From left,Topaz Pery, Si Naftaly and Kiros Rawan Mhajne helped develop “milkosomes” that cross the intestinal barrier. Photo by Rami Shlush/Technion Spokesperson's Office

Researchers in Israel are a step closer to replacing injections with swallowable medicines and vaccines.

They’ve done so by developing artificial particles that mimic the properties of human breastmilk.

The problem they’re solving is that the body prevents anything it suspects of being potentially harmful — such as insulin for diabetes and a range of vaccines — from passing out of the intestine into the bloodstream.

But a team at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa realized that breastmilk does cross the baby’s intestinal barrier — the large protective layer of mucus and epithelial cells that allows essential nutrients to enter the bloodstream while blocking suspected toxins.

 

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