14 DAY TRIAL // A paper published in yesterday's issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology documents the development of a rather peculiar brew that scientists like to call “nanojuice” and that is expected to help doctors spy on the small intestine.
The brew is the brainchild of researchers with the University of Buffalo in the United States and its ingredients are nothing like the ones found in the usual happy hour drink your average Joe or Jane likes to gulp down after a hard day's work.
On the contrary, Phys Org tells us that this brew basically comprises nanoparticles suspended in liquid. Hence the fact that the University of Buffalo scientists who developed it like to call it “nanojuice.”
In their paper, the brainiacs behind this research project explain that, despite the fact that it measures about 23 feet (about 7 meters) in length and about 1 inch (roughly 2.5 centimeters) in thickness, the small intestine is not easy to examine.
This is because it sits between the stomach and the large intestine and is largely concealed from view. Hence, neither X-rays nor MRIs or ultrasound images can provide accurate information concerning its anatomy and potential faults.
The nanojuice is expected to solve this problem by making it easier for doctors to examine the small intestine in real-time. As explained by the University of Buffalo specialists, such real-time images will come in handy when it comes to diagnosing and treating various health problems.
“Conventional imaging methods show the organ and blockages, but this method allows you to see how the small intestine operates in real time,” says study author Jonathan Lovell, PhD and assistant professor of biomedical engineering.
“Better imaging will improve our understanding of these diseases and allow doctors to more effectively care for people suffering from them,” the University of Buffalo researchers further explain the perks of using the nanojuice to examine the small intestine.
The brew has until now only been tested on laboratory mice. Specifically, researchers have only administered it to several such rodents, which they then exposed to pulsed laser light to get a detailed image of their small intestine.
The nanojuice is said to have performed surprisingly well during these tests. Consequently, the University of Buffalo researchers are now looking into the possibility to roll out clinical trials involving human patients and prove that it can also be used to study gastrointestinal illnesses in people.
Depending on the outcome of these trials, it might happen that, at some point in the future, the nanojuice will also be used to gain a better insight into medical conditions affecting not only the small intestine, but other regions of the gastrointestinal tract.