UAE: NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop first-of-its kind device to control appetite

UAE: NYU Abu Dhabi researchers develop first-of-its kind device to control appetite

The ingestible capsule is a non-invasive and precise method that could be used to modulate hunger levels and treat metabolic and neurologic diseases

By WAM Published: Thu 27 Apr 2023, 10:53 PM

A team of researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), led by Professor Khalil Ramadi, Director of the Laboratory for Advanced Neuroengineering and Translational Medicine, have developed a first-of-its-kind ingestible electroceutical device for the neuromodulation of the gut-brain axis, the signaling pathway between the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system.

The ingestible capsule is a non-invasive and precise method that could be used to modulate hunger levels and treat metabolic and neurologic diseases. This was developed in collaboration with Professor Giovanni Traverso of MIT, who is a joint senior author of the study, and James McRae, a graduate student at MIT, who is the first co-author of the paper published in the journal Science Robotics.

The FLASH system utilises electrodes on its surface to deliver electrical stimulation to stomach mucosal tissue. The gut-brain axis regulates several physiological functions, including feeding and emotional behavior. The existing pharmaceutical and surgical methods to modulate the axis, including implanting electrodes through surgery, are imprecise, and invasive, and have been associated with significant recovery periods and associated risks.