--- title: "MIT engineers find a way to deliver drugs directly to the esophagus" url: https://daily.dev/posts/mit-engineers-find-a-way-to-deliver-drugs-directly-to-the-esophagus-dq7rqmfhs source_url: https://news.mit.edu/2026/mit-engineers-find-way-to-deliver-drugs-directly-to-esophagus-0612 type: article source: "MIT News" published: 2026-06-12T09:05:17.737Z updated: 2026-06-12T09:05:37.075Z reading_time: 5 upvotes: 0 comments: 0 language: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # MIT engineers find a way to deliver drugs directly to the esophagus **[MIT News](https://daily.dev/sources/mit)** · 5 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary MIT engineers have developed a gel-based oral drug formulation capable of delivering therapeutics directly to the esophageal lining. The hydrogel, combined with bile salts (sodium chenodeoxycholate and sodium cholate), temporarily loosens cell-cell junctions in the esophagus to allow drugs like infliximab to pass through the normally impermeable squamous epithelium. Tested in animals, the approach could reduce systemic side effects of immunosuppressants used to treat conditions like eosinophilic esophagitis and Crohn's disease. The team used a custom screening system mimicking esophageal tissue to identify optimal excipient combinations, and is now working toward human trials. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Startup’s tablets deliver cancer drugs more evenly over time](https://daily.dev/posts/startup-s-tablets-deliver-cancer-drugs-more-evenly-over-time-zfansg4j7) · MIT News · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Pills that communicate from the stomach could improve medication adherence](https://daily.dev/posts/pills-that-communicate-from-the-stomach-could-improve-medication-adherence-vcpgzwluw) · MIT News · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [MIT engineers whip up a more breathable hydrogel](https://daily.dev/posts/mit-engineers-whip-up-a-more-breathable-hydrogel-ngj3nl9se) · MIT News · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Reformulated antibodies could be injected for easier treatment](https://daily.dev/posts/reformulated-antibodies-could-be-injected-for-easier-treatment-fugybfhqz) · MIT Technology Review · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [A new way to deliver antibodies could make treatment much easier for patients](https://daily.dev/posts/a-new-way-to-deliver-antibodies-could-make-treatment-much-easier-for-patients-lupqvrswy) · MIT News · 1 upvotes · 0 comments --- [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/mit-engineers-find-a-way-to-deliver-drugs-directly-to-the-esophagus-dq7rqmfhs)