Scientists from Australian National University say they have developed a "Superbowl" drug delivery system. This is research, led by Associate Professor Michael Sherburn of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, that has created a molecule they call the Superbowl because it can capture, hold and deliver drugs.
The Superbowl was created using free radical chemistry, or highly reactive molecules that get a lot of bad press because they can damage materials and health. But if you control them, you can use them to complete some difficult chemical reactions.
"Excitingly, unlike conventional capsules, we can control the rate at which a drug is released from our superbowl container molecule," Sherburn says. "This has the potential to allow lower drug doses, hence leading to fewer side-effects."
The researchers have already placed a drug inside the Superbowl that any football player would appreciate: Aspirin. Next up, drugs to treat a condition familiar to retired players: arthritis.
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