Advanced ingestibles for probing the nexus between gastrointestinal functions and physical/mental well-being in animals and humans

Descripción del proyecto

Resolver los misterios de la conexión entre el intestino y el encéfalo

Comprender la intrincada conexión entre las señales corporales y el bienestar general ha sido durante mucho tiempo un reto tanto para la comunidad médica como para la científica. Aunque la investigación ha puesto de relieve la importancia de las funciones gastrointestinales (GI) en la salud física y mental, se carece de herramientas para explorar exhaustivamente este vínculo. Los dispositivos ingeribles existentes no proporcionan la precisión y profundidad necesarias para desentrañar las complejidades de la fisiología GI y sus efectos en el bienestar humano y animal. En este contexto, el proyecto DeepDive, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, emerge como una iniciativa pionera destinada a revolucionar nuestra comprensión de las funciones GI mediante una innovadora tecnología ingerible.

Objetivo

Expanding on the eHONESTY ERC project about the link between body and moral decisions, the DeepDive PoC proposal aims to explore the neglected role of deep-body signals in modulating physical/mental health in humans and animals through the radically new approach of using ingestibles for mapping gastrointestinal (GI) physiology. Crucially, although the market of ingestible devices is burgeoning, none of the existing products has the features needed for probing the link between GI dys/functions and physical/mental well-being in humans and animals. To fill this outstanding gap, the DeepDive project aims to develop and test a class of ingestibles that can capture from different tracts of the GI system (e.g. stomach, small/large intestine), physiological signals like endoluminal pH, pressure, and temperature with unprecedented accuracy and precision; and, remarkably, add causation to correlation by recording the GI neurons' activity before and after their electrical perturbation. The inert capsules will be produced by: i) assembling specific components created using 3D printing and ii) integrating a number of microscopic components ranging from solid state pH, temperature, and pressure sensors to A/DD/A Microconverter and RF Radio 2.4 GHz, in a sub-centimetric space. GI functions at rest and in conditions of social stress will be tested in piglets using the new ingestible and in humans using commercial pills. All the steps towards patenting and obtaining permission for use in humans of the novel ingestible will be taken, and existing contacts with industrial partners and biomedical devices approval offices will be strengthened. Given the link of gastroenterology with physical/mental dys/functions and human/animal well-being, the project will have significant benefits at neuroscientific, medical, and societal levels. Moreover, since the global market of ingestible sensors is expected to exceed $14 billions by 2026, DeepDive will likely have key economic implications.