Researchers in the United States are developing a non-invasive method that uses ultrasound to precisely and less harmfully administer medications anyplace in the body.

A group of researchers from Stanford University is creating a novel method that encapsulates medications in nanoparticles and releases them at their designated locations using ultrasound.

The scientists demonstrated in rats that their method can administer painkillers to particular nerves in limbs and ketamine to particular brain regions in a study that was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. They discovered that nanoparticles are safer, more stable, and simpler to make using a novel sucrose formulation.

“It turns out that all you need to make this work is a little bit of sugar,” said Raag Airan, an assistant professor of radiology at Stanford Medicine.

The researchers discovered that the nanoparticles were responsive to ultrasound stimulation yet comparatively stable in the body when they contained a 5% sucrose solution.

This implies that the majority of the medication is only released where it is required, even if the nanoparticles are injected into the bloodstream and move throughout the body. When a narrow ultrasonic beam is administered externally, it locates the target and releases the medication.

Numerous medications could become safer and more effective with the implementation of such a system.

“We can minimize the off-target effects and maximize the therapeutic effect,” Airan stated.

At first, the nanoparticles were made up of a liquid core of rare chemical compounds encased in a polymer shell. The scientists attempted to modify the liquid core’s response to ultrasound by adding a range of common materials, such as salts and polymers, but it was unsuccessful.

They tried sugar at last. After experimenting with various sugar types and concentrations, the researchers discovered that adding 5% sucrose to the liquid core produced the optimum balance between stability at body temperature and ultrasonic sensitivity.

Rats that received an injection of free, unencapsulated ketamine and those that received ketamine encapsulated in nanoparticles with 5% sucrose were used to test the drug delivery system.

The nanoparticles showed tailored drug release when the researchers used ultrasound to target a specific area of the brain. This area received around three times as much medication as other areas of the brain.

According to the researchers, if the mechanism functions in humans, medical professionals could be able to prevent ketamine’s dissociative effects while separating the drug’s emotional effects, such as treating depression.