Weight loss with ‘vibrating’ capsule: Scientists develop new way to treat obesity

Scientists have come up with a path-breaking ingestible capsule that artificially stimulates a feeling of fullness in the stomach, which could lead individuals to eat less and thereby control and treat obesity.

The ingestible capsule vibrates within the stomach, which causes the stretch receptors to believe that the stomach is full already.

What happens in the stomach?

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When the stomach undergoes distension, specialised cells known as mechanoreceptors detect the stretching and transmit signals to the brain via the vagus nerve.

Consequently, the brain initiates the production of insulin and various hormones, including C-peptide, Pyy, and GLP-1.

These hormones collaboratively facilitate food digestion, induce a feeling of fullness, and regulate eating cessation.

Simultaneously, the levels of ghrelin, a hormone that promotes hunger, decrease.

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“For somebody who wants to lose weight or control their appetite, it could be taken before each meal,” says Shriya Srinivasan PhD ’20, a former MIT graduate student and postdoc who is now an assistant professor of bioengineering at Harvard University.

“This could be really interesting in that it would provide an option that could minimize the side effects that we see with the other pharmacological treatments out there.”

Research conducted on animals

In an animal study, the researchers demonstrated that when the vibrating pill is activated, it triggers mechanoreceptors, sending signals to the brain via vagus nerve stimulation.

Hormone levels tracked during vibrating periods mirrored patterns observed after a meal, even in fasting animals.

The researchers further examined the impact of this stimulation on the animals' hunger.

Activation of the pill for approximately 20 minutes before offering food resulted in an average 40 per cent reduction in food consumption compared to periods when the pill was inactive.

Additionally, animals treated with the vibrating pill exhibited slower weight gain.

“The behavioural change is profound, and that’s using the endogenous system rather than any exogenous therapeutic. We have the potential to overcome some of the challenges and costs associated with delivery of biologic drugs by modulating the enteric nervous system,” said Giovanni Traverso, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, at MIT.

The researchers now plan to explore ways to scale up the manufacturing of the capsules, which could enable clinical trials in humans.

(With inputs from agencies)