Self-Injectable Contraceptive Implant: Revolutionizing Women's Health
A contraceptive implant is a highly effective method, but requires minor surgery. Now, researchers are developing a self-assembling contraceptive implant that could be self-administered via a single injection, potentially revolutionizing access to long-term birth control.
The Science Behind SLIM
This innovative approach, detailed in Nature Chemical Engineering, uses "Self-assembling Long-acting Injectable Microcrystals" (SLIM) to deliver levonorgestrel, a contraceptive hormone. Once injected, these tiny crystals assemble into a drug "depot," slowly releasing the hormone over extended periods.
Vivian Feig, a mechanical engineer at Stanford University, highlights the goal: "to give women access to a lot of different formats for contraception that are easy to administer, compatible with being used in the developing world, and have a range of different timeframes of durations of action."
Accessibility and Comfort
While traditional birth control shots exist, they require frequent administration (every three months) and are less effective than implants. SLIM aims to bridge this gap, offering the long-term efficacy of an implant with the convenience of self-administered shots.
A key challenge was needle size. The SLIM formula utilizes tiny crystals and a solvent, enabling the use of much smaller needles, improving patient comfort.
Giovanni Traverso, a gastroenterologist at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital, emphasizes the importance of patient comfort and ease of application. The team's focus was on minimizing bruising and bleeding through smaller needles and ensuring low viscosity for easy injection.
Future Applications
The researchers can also fine-tune the mixture to control the drug release rate and duration. Sanghyun Park, an MIT graduate student, notes the system's tunability, allowing for tailored dosing and potential application to other long-term medications, such as those for HIV.
While SLIM is still in preclinical stages, its development holds significant promise for more accessible, convenient, and effective long-term medications.
Source: Gizmodo