Nanopills release drugs directly from the inside of cells

Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona researchers have developed a new vehicle to release proteins with therapeutic effects. The vehicles are known as ‘bacteria inclusion bodies,’ stable insoluble nanoparticles which are normally found in recombinant bacteria. Even though these inclusion bodies traditionally have been an obstacle in the industrial production of soluble enzymes and biodrugs, they were recently recognized to have large amounts of functional proteins with direct values in industrial and biomedical applications. The team verified the value of these nanoparticles as natural ‘nanopills’ with a strong capacity to penetrate cells and carry out biological activities. The nanopill concept represents a new and promising platform for drug administration and illustrates the yet to be explored power of microbial materials in medicine.