{"id":24430,"date":"2016-10-17T10:43:19","date_gmt":"2016-10-17T05:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yaabot.com\/?p=24430"},"modified":"2016-10-17T10:43:19","modified_gmt":"2016-10-17T05:13:19","slug":"tattoos-to-deliver-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/tattoos-to-deliver-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Tattoos Can Now Deliver Medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

As kids we have all been infatuated with tattoos. I know I have. Growing up in India, many of the one rupee chocolates used to get us\u00a0tattoos for free, which I happily used\u00a0to put\u00a0on my skin. Elders weren’t too pleased, often citing the\u00a0harmful effects of these \u2018chemical drawings\u2019. Nevertheless, I and my friends used to show off every day to each other till these tattoos remained on our body. It was fun.<\/p>\n

Grown up now, but the<\/span> myth of tattoos has changed. From \u2018chemical drawings\u2019 to \u2018art\u2019, there are various tattoo artists around the world. The human body is more like a walking, talking drawing book now. Some people tattoo their loved ones names, some the philosophies they follow and some an image that they love. The latest and most surprising myth that I have heard of is that of \u2018inducing medicine\u2019 through tattoos.<\/p>\n

As reluctant as you may be\u00a0to accept it, it is true. Tattoo making as an end product is art, but behind that art science are\u00a0invested<\/span>\u00a0ink, machines, and colors, all produced from harm free chemicals so that something beautiful can be<\/span> expressed on the body. Since\u00a0these are chemicals we’re\u00a0talking about, scientists are using them to use medicines now.<\/p>\n

Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, USA has come up with some fresh findings and published it in the science journal Nature on<\/span> the usage of tattoos for medicinal purposes. Combining nanotechnology and medicines,\u00a0delivering medicines via tattoos seems possible.<\/p>\n

Also Read: Precision Medicine – The Ultimate Cure?<\/a><\/p>\n

\"dna-stamp\"
Source<\/a>: Ars Techina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Process<\/h2>\n

This new therapy has already found success in treating Multiple Sclerosis. The process is very simple, similar to tattoos are usually delivered. You make a tattoo using the machine filled with the ink. Position\u00a0the pin of the machine on the skin and start drawing the tattoo you need. However, the ink will contain anti-oxidants mixed with nanoparticles. “\u2026the carbon-based particles form a dark spot that fades over about one week as they are slowly released into the circulation”, says Baylor scientist Christine Beeton who is heading the experiment.<\/p>\n

Related: Where are the Medical Nanobots?<\/a><\/p>\n

Killer T cells are the infantry division of the human body\u2019s immune system. In a disease like multiple sclerosis, these cells stop differentiating between the body\u2019s own cells and the infiltrating pathogen cells. This lays the groundwork for more physical, mental, sometimes even psychiatric disorders which might eventually end up in permanent damage. When the tattoo is designed<\/span> on the skin, a small patch sized in the range of nanometers,\u00a0is formed<\/span> on the skin. This small patch is the location from where\u00a0nanoparticles comprised of\u00a0<\/span>polyethylene glycol with hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG-HCCs<\/span>) are administered<\/span> into the blood stream. The patch then disappears over time<\/span>. These carbon particles now present<\/span>\u00a0in the blood stream slow down the T cells from attacking while letting the other cells from the immune system to work<\/span> normally.<\/p>\n

The<\/span>\u00a0Side Effects<\/h2>\n

Usually when a medicine is administered<\/span>\u00a0to the body, it affects a broader area instead of the targeted specific area. This allows the body to be<\/span> susceptible to infection and other side effects. But tattoo based medicine delivery has far lower chances of side effects, since the impact is aimed\u00a0directly at the T cells. After the job is done<\/span>, these particles exit the body to<\/span> prevent any permanent problem.<\/p>\n

It’s interesting to see the lines between science & art blurring, and even more heartening to see the two work together for such innovative means to push our capabilities as a species forward. I believe\u00a0science is an art, while\u00a0art needs science to be<\/span> precise. This experiment was conducted<\/span> on rodent specimens\u00a0for now. However, there’s a good chance\u00a0you’ll find tattoo studios and a hospital, both in the same building!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As kids we have all been infatuated with tattoos. I know I have. Growing up in India, many of the one rupee chocolates used to get us\u00a0tattoos for free, which I happily used\u00a0to put\u00a0on my skin. Elders weren’t too pleased, often citing the\u00a0harmful effects of these \u2018chemical drawings\u2019. Nevertheless, I and my friends used to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24430"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entropymag.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}