An international team led by Northwestern University, Rice University, and Carnegie Mellon University has developed a miniature implantable device called the hybrid oxygenation bioelectronics system for implanted therapy (HOBIT), which can continuously produce drugs inside the body. The researchers modified cells to simultaneously release three drugs with different half‑lives: an HIV antibody, the GLP‑1 peptide for type 2 diabetes, and the hormone leptin. The device is implanted in the subcutaneous space. The results are published in the journal Device (Cell Press).
The HOBIT device, about the size of a pack of chewing gum, consists of a chamber with modified cells, a miniature oxygen generator, and electronics with a battery. Unlike previous versions of “living pharmacies”, in which cells died from lack of oxygen, HOBIT produces oxygen on its own by splitting water molecules. This makes it possible to maintain a cell density approximately six times higher than with methods without additional oxygenation.
“We produce oxygen right where the cells need it. The cell density in HOBIT was approximately six times higher than with traditional methods without oxygenation,” said Jonathan Rivnay, professor at Northwestern University.
The effectiveness of the “living pharmacy” was tested in rats. Over 30 days, the scientists monitored the levels of all three drugs in the animals’ blood. In rats with the oxygen generator, all three drugs remained stable throughout the study. In the control group without oxygen generation, the drugs were no longer detectable by the seventh day.
The researchers’ immediate plans include testing the technology in larger animals and adapting the device to treat specific diseases. The project received financial support from the organization Breakthrough T1D and the US Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Another study previously reported that Russian scientists had created an implantable system for long‑term stimulation of hematopoiesis. This development, similar to HOBIT, makes it possible to avoid the daily injections needed by patients after chemotherapy.
