Drug delivery

In nature, pest insects and other parasites latch onto their hosts by inserting backward-facing barbs into their tissue. Scientists have now copied that strategy, in a system that could someday replace painful hypodermic needles.

Creative new treatments for superbugs are sorely needed, and now researchers at UCSD have developed a concept that’s just crazy enough to work – self-propelling “microvehicles” that lure bacteria into a trap, then kill them.

Giving oneself daily injections of insulin or other drugs is both painful and a hassle. A new "robo-pill" may make doing so unnecessary, however – and it reportedly performed well in its first human trials.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a smart bandage that changes color to signal either drug-resistant or drug-sensitive bacteria. It can then be triggered to release antibiotics or other chemicals to kill off the bugs.

Scientists are coming up with some creative new methods to fight cancer. Now, a new study has found that iron nanowires could deliver a three-pronged attack against cancer cells, using heat, vibrations and drugs together.

Researchers have developed what they are calling “super-human red blood cells.” These are normal red blood cells loaded with synthetic drug molecules, creating a powerful hybrid cell designed to deliver drugs to targeted locations in the body.

The flu virus mutates quickly and unpredictably, making it hard to develop effective vaccines. Now, researchers have created a drug that protects mice against six different strains of the flu, potentially paving the way for a universal flu vaccine.

MIT researchers have designed a microneedle patch that can administer both a vaccine and quantum dots that sit under the skin for years at a time, essentially storing a person's vaccine history on their own body.

Some bacteria use tiny syringes to inject toxins into their host’s cells. Now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute have found a way to use this to our advantage, by swapping out these toxins for other chemicals, like drugs.

Predicting a wave of psychedelic legalization over the coming decade, start-up Silo Wellness has developed a magic mushroom nasal spray focused on delivering controlled psychedelic microdoses. New Atlas spoke to CEO Mike Arnold to learn more.

The Pill only works if you remember to take it every single day. To reduce that risk and hassle, researchers at MIT have updated their slow-release, star-shaped oral capsules to last up to four weeks, and used it to deliver contraceptive drugs.

Kidney stones are a common health problem, and while manageable, they can be quite painful. Now, researchers at MIT have found a particular combination of two drugs that can relax urinary tract tubes, allowing stones to be passed more easily.