MIT engineers developed a vibrating, ingestible pill designed to help curb overeating by making people feel full before they even start their meal.
According to MIT News, the capsule works by vibrating inside the stomach and activating stretch receptors, which in turn, Consequently, these signals deceive the brain into believing it's appropriate to stop eating. When tested in animals, those who received this treatment ate around 40 percent less food than those who did not, perhaps a promising step for addressing obesity.
Shriya Srinivasan, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Harvard University and former MIT grad, spearheaded the study. “This could be really interesting in that it would provide an option that could minimize the side effects that we see with the other pharmacological treatments out there,” Srinivasan told MIT News.
The research, part of a paper published in Science Advances, points to significant advances in non-invasive weight control methods. The pill contains a vibrating element that gets activated by stomach acid and is powered by a small battery. Not only did this "fullness pill" reduce food intake, but it also led to slower weight gain in the animals tested, per the MIT study report.
Treatment options for obesity are often costly and invasive, with limited access for many due to price points and medical complexities. The MIT-developed a pill, as its production cost may allow for wider accessibility. “For a lot of populations, some of the more effective therapies for obesity are very costly. At scale, our device could be manufactured at a pretty cost-effective price point,” Srinivasan commented.
As for safety and the next steps, the teams are preparing to explore manufacturing scale-up, which could pave the path for human clinical trials. No adverse effects like obstructions or perforations were observed in the animals, but comprehensive human studies are necessary to understand the full spectrum of the capsule's impact.
