Close Menu

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Quantum Computing vs. Neuromorphic Computing: A 2025 Comparative Analysis

    6 June

    Top Healthtech Startups In India You Should Know About

    24 May

    DNA Might Replace Hard Drives Someday – Here’s Why It Matters

    20 May
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    YaabotYaabot
    Subscribe
    • Insights
    • Software & Apps
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Consumer Tech & Hardware
    • Leaders of Tech
      • Leaders of AI
      • Leaders of Fintech
      • Leaders of HealthTech
      • Leaders of SaaS
    • Technology
    • Tutorials
    • Contact
      • Advertise on Yaabot
      • About Us
      • Contact
      • Write for Us at Yaabot: Join Our Tech Conversation
    YaabotYaabot
    Home»Science»Tattoos Can Now Deliver Medicine
    Science

    Tattoos Can Now Deliver Medicine

    Venumadhav BhatBy Venumadhav Bhat17 OctoberUpdated:17 October4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    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 tattoos for free, which I happily used to put on my skin. Elders weren’t too pleased, often citing the harmful effects of these ‘chemical drawings’. Nevertheless, I and my friends used to show off every day to each other till these tattoos remained on our body. It was fun.

    Grown up now, but the myth of tattoos has changed. From ‘chemical drawings’ to ‘art’, 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 ‘inducing medicine’ through tattoos.

    As reluctant as you may be to accept it, it is true. Tattoo making as an end product is art, but behind that art science are invested ink, machines, and colors, all produced from harm free chemicals so that something beautiful can be expressed on the body. Since these are chemicals we’re talking about, scientists are using them to use medicines now.

    Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, USA has come up with some fresh findings and published it in the science journal Nature on the usage of tattoos for medicinal purposes. Combining nanotechnology and medicines, delivering medicines via tattoos seems possible.

    Also Read: Precision Medicine – The Ultimate Cure?

    dna-stamp
    Source: Ars Techina

    Table of Contents

    Toggle
    • The Process
    • The Side Effects

    The Process

    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 the pin of the machine on the skin and start drawing the tattoo you need. However, the ink will contain anti-oxidants mixed with nanoparticles. “…the 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.

    Related: Where are the Medical Nanobots?

    Killer T cells are the infantry division of the human body’s immune system. In a disease like multiple sclerosis, these cells stop differentiating between the body’s 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 on the skin, a small patch sized in the range of nanometers, is formed on the skin. This small patch is the location from where nanoparticles comprised of polyethylene glycol with hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG-HCCs) are administered into the blood stream. The patch then disappears over time. These carbon particles now present in the blood stream slow down the T cells from attacking while letting the other cells from the immune system to work normally.

    The Side Effects

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

    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 science is an art, while art needs science to be precise. This experiment was conducted on rodent specimens for now. However, there’s a good chance you’ll find tattoo studios and a hospital, both in the same building!

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Avatar photo
    Venumadhav Bhat

    Manipalite. Wannabe Motion Picture Entrepreneur. Creator. Perpetual sleeper, eater, and Lame Jokes Specialist (I hold a PhD in it, the Pizza Hut Delivery one). Loves to read and write on anything and everything in this vast exploding universe. Holds double citizenship both in the world of drama, and the drama of the world.

    Related Posts

    DNA Might Replace Hard Drives Someday – Here’s Why It Matters

    20 May

    What is Starlink? The Ultimate Guide to SpaceX’s Satellite Internet Revolution

    2 May

    3D Printing Applications & Innovations in 2025: Everything You Should Know

    15 April
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Advertisement
    More

    Offbeat Google: The Top 15 Projects from the Company

    By Srishti Saha

    Solar Powered Luminescent Bike Lanes Are Lighting Up Poland

    By Venumadhav Bhat

    100 Years: General Relativity Is as Relevant As Ever

    By Prajna Jayesh
    © 2025 Yaabot Media LLP.
    • Home
    • Buy Now

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy