title: A pH-responsive supramolecular polymer gel as an enteric elastomer for use in gastric devices.
abstract: Devices resident in the stomach-used for a variety of clinical applications including nutritional modulation for bariatrics, ingestible electronics for diagnosis and monitoring, and gastric-retentive dosage forms for prolonged drug delivery-typically incorporate elastic polymers to compress the devices during delivery through the oesophagus and other narrow orifices in the digestive system. However, in the event of accidental device fracture or migration, the non-degradable nature of these materials risks intestinal obstruction. Here, we show that an elastic, pH-responsive supramolecular gel remains stable and elastic in the acidic environment of the stomach but can be dissolved in the neutral-pH environment of the small and large intestines. In a large animal model, prototype devices with these materials as the key component demonstrated prolonged gastric retention and safe passage. These enteric elastomers should increase the safety profile for a wide range of gastric-retentive devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Shiyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bellinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Dean L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Glettig
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barman
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Young-Ah Lucy
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
authors.forename: Jiahua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Cody
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cleveland
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Veronica A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Device Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Landon D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Device Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Duncan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Maitland
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Traverso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D020724:Elastomers; D004581:Electronics; D004947:Esophagus / Q000187:drug effects; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000502:physiology; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013270:Stomach / Q000187:drug effects*; D013552:Swine; D013607:Tablets; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical
chemical_list: D020724:Elastomers; D005782:Gels; D011108:Polymers; D013607:Tablets