What is the effect of the gas?
Meinel: The gas has an anti-inflammatory effect. Our own cells also produce it – especially if there are any inflammatory processes in the body. The anti-inflammatory effects of CO have been known for more than two decades. However, it's essential that it is directly produced in the tissue and doesn't get into the bloodstream. We all know that if CO is absorbed by the lungs, it primarily combines with hemoglobin and prevents the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
Which diseases can be treated with the capsule?
Meinel: We have studied various applications and want to primarily use it to treat diabetic gastroparesis. Many diabetics struggle with the fact that their stomachs are no longer emptying in a regular fashion. The intestinal motility is restricted in this case. This means that partially digested food enters the small intestine in an irregular and delayed fashion. This is strenuous and dangerous for diabetics because they inject insulin at certain times. And although the patients have injected insulin, calories are not converted if foods don't enter the small intestine at the right time. The assumption in the past was that this is a neural issue. However, today we know that this is also an inflammatory disease. Results of mice tests suggest that CO could have a positive effect on diabetic gastroparesis.
That being said, it can also be used to treat sepsis, which also exhibits a strong inflammatory component. Although we don't use our capsule as a treatment in this instance, other scientists have already successfully used CO for this purpose.
What other difficulties and special challenges did you encounter when you developed the capsule shell?
Meinel: Initially, the capsule wasn’t sealed together but we were able to solve this problem. It was also difficult to find the right animal models. We also tested the method for ulcerative colitis. These types of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are very common in the general population. So far, we have only tested the procedure in mice and not in humans. That would be the next step.