Marie Donlon | July 12, 2024
A team of researchers from Rutgers-New Brunswick, Columbia University and the University of Chicago has developed a device that promises to treat psoriasis.
The device is a combination of advanced electronics, living cells and hydrogel, which together form the so-called “living bioelectronic” patch. According to its developers, the patch is roughly 1 inch in diameter and wafer thin. Further, it contains electronic chips, bacterial cells and a gel derived from starch and gelatin.
In the lab, the team incorporated S. epidermidis, which lives on human skin and has been shown to reduce inflammation, into the device’s gel casing and a thin, flexible printed circuit serves as the skeleton of the device.
The bacteria secrete compounds capable of reducing inflammation once the device is placed on the skin, and sensors in the flexible circuits monitor the skin for signs associated with healing, such as skin impedance, temperature and humidity.
The data gathered by the circuits is then wirelessly transferred to a computer or a smart phone, thereby enabling patients to monitor their healing process. During tests on mice, the device monitored and improved psoriasis-like symptoms without irritating skin, the researchers reported.
In addition to psoriasis, the patch could also potentially be used as a treatment for wounds and skin cancers in the future.
An article detailing the patch, “Active biointegrated living electronics for managing inflammation,” appears in the journal Science.
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