Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led by Giovanni Traverso, have unveiled a groundbreaking solution that may revolutionize obesity treatment. Their latest creation, a vibrating pill roughly the size of a standard multivitamin, has the potential to mimic the sensation of a full stomach, offering a less invasive alternative to traditional methods like gastric bypass surgery and prescription drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic.
This remarkable vibrating pill contains a tiny silver oxide battery-powered motor, safely ingestible and designed to dissolve in the stomach’s gastric acid environment. Once dissolved, an electronic circuit is activated, initiating vibrations within the pill.
In a recent experiment involving pigs, those administered the vibrating pill 20 minutes before mealtime consumed approximately 40% less food compared to their counterparts without the pill. Additionally, these pigs exhibited higher levels of satiety-inducing hormones in their bloodstream.
Traverso and his team are enthusiastic about advancing their research to human trials in the near future, seeing enormous potential in this innovative approach to combat obesity. Traverso emphasizes the urgency of addressing this pervasive health issue, with over 40% of the US population affected.
The pill’s vibrations stimulate the same receptors that signal fullness when the stomach is distended after a meal, effectively tricking the brain into perceiving satiety. The current prototype vibrates for 30 minutes before naturally passing through the digestive system after its battery is depleted.
Traverso envisions future iterations of the pill that could remain in the stomach semi-permanently and be remotely controlled. Each individual’s response to the device may vary, but it could potentially be activated periodically to curb appetite or be managed via a smartphone app to target specific hunger cues.
Previous research by the same research group has explored electrical stimulation of the stomach lining to induce hunger, suggesting possible treatments for individuals with diminished appetite, such as cancer patients. Traverso believes this pioneering work is laying the foundation for exploring the potential of stimulation in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract to create the illusion of fullness. The exciting possibilities in the field of obesity treatment are just beginning to emerge.
