Oral delivery of proteins and large molecule drugs has been a challenge due to the denaturing effects of digestive environment, enzymatic destruction and poor GI mucus permeability, leading to extremely low drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. In spite of considerable efforts over the past decades, oral delivery of proteins and large molecule drugs with low therapeutic efficacy and bioavailability remains a major challenge. There is a great need for a suitable oral delivery system which can maintain the protein integrity, improve bioavailability and overcome the mucus barrier for maximum absorption. MucuJet is a high pressure jet-injector oral pill, for oral to systemic delivery of drugs. MucuJet can protect drugs from digestive destruction and can eject drugs with high pressure in the lumen of small intestine which can penetrate intestinal mucus, thereby overcoming the limitation associated with low diffusion rate across mucosal barrier. The feasibility of using MucuJet for enhancing intestinal absorption was tested in vitro which indicated that MucuJet is capable of high velocity drug release and is able to increase protein absorption in short amount of time with no significant effect on cell viability. CFD simulations have further indicated that Mucujet is able to penetrate the mucus barrier. Animal experiments have been completed for oral vaccine delivery and the results indicated that Mucujet is able to boost rabbit immune response effectively.
Project end date: 08/24/16