Scientists from PUM and ZUT are working on a new form of drug administration. Electromagnetic fields will help

Transdermal drug delivery assisted by electromagnetic fields: it sounds like science fiction. Can electromagnetic fields make drugs more absorbable?

Prof. Rafał Rakoczy: We are implementing this project as part of the OPUS 25 competition. The project involves scientists from the Pomeranian Medical University (PUM) and the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin (ZUT), and I am the head of this research. At the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, we have already conducted research that has shown that drugs penetrate better in the presence of an electromagnetic field. Our project involves developing and testing the effectiveness of transdermal drug delivery systems supported by an electromagnetic field.

This method of delivering drugs directly through the skin bypasses the digestive system, thus minimizing the risk of side effects. Electromagnetic field support is intended to increase the efficiency of drug penetration through the skin and improve bioavailability.

You have joined forces with scientists from the Pomeranian Medical University. How many people are working on this project?

Prof. Rafał Rakoczy: Already at the stage of preliminary research, we invited scientists from PUM. Cooperation with experts from various fields is crucial to achieving comprehensive and reliable research results. About 16 people are working on the project, including specialists in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials engineering, and pharmacy.

What is the role of PUM researchers?

Prof. Anna Nowak: The project involves employees from the Department of Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Physiology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology. We are responsible for the part of the project concerning drug penetration through the skin. We have considerable experience in this area. For several years, our research interests have been related to the penetration of pharmaceutical substances through the skin, mainly anti-inflammatory drugs. At this stage, our role in the project includes preparing the skin, applying a patch with an active pharmaceutical substance. After conducting the penetration test, which is carried out by ZUT, we collect samples and mark the content of the drug that has penetrated the skin or has accumulated in it. Then we develop the results and pass them on to colleagues from the West Pomeranian University of Technology. Together, we consult them, discuss them and draw conclusions.

In the Department and Department of Physiology, histopathological preparations are prepared, which will allow us to check whether the analyzed drugs accumulate in the skin and whether the magnetic field does not destroy skin cells. On the other hand, employees of the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology check the safety of using new drugs, using in vitro tests on skin cells.

What does the team from ZUT do?

Prof. Rafał Rakoczy: Our scientists play an important role in the design and optimization of devices generating electromagnetic fields, as well as in the analysis of the mechanisms of drug penetration through the skin. Experience in chemical engineering or materials engineering is useful in developing innovative technological solutions. We conduct research on various drug formulas that can be used in transdermal administration. We develop new formulations and drug carriers, such as bacterial cellulose, that can increase the effectiveness of drug penetration through the skin. We analyze the safety and tolerance of such delivery systems, conducting tests on in vitro and ex vivo models. ZUT has highly qualified staff and research equipment to implement this project.

How are transdermal diffusion studies performed?

Prof. Anna Nowak: We use the Franz Diffusion Cell. This system for studying transdermal diffusion consists of six vertical diffusion cells. In the acceptor chamber, we place, for example, a drug solution, a patch or a pharmaceutical substrate, and in the donor chamber – a buffer solution with a pH of 7.4, into which active substances penetrate. The skin is located between these chambers. The penetration of compounds can occur with different intensity. If the substance penetrates deep into the epidermis – we are dealing with absorption, if it penetrates deep into the skin – with penetration. On the other hand, penetration below the skin – what we care about most – is resorption.

Magnetotherapy is mainly used in physiotherapy. What is the magnetic field support for transdermal drug administration?

Prof. Rafał Rakoczy: A properly selected electromagnetic field is designed to increase skin permeability. It can cause temporary changes in the structure of the stratum corneum of the epidermis, which allows for better penetration of drug molecules. Additionally, it improves the absorption of the drug into the deeper layers of the skin and increases its bioavailability. Previous studies have shown that the electromagnetic field also affects the crystalline form of the active substance, which significantly affects such properties of the substance as solubility or lipophilicity, and thus the bioavailability of the drug. We are working on explaining the mechanisms of intensification of drug permeability through the skin. We expect that this will be the result of several modes of action.

What substances are being tested in the project?

Prof. Anna Nowak: We are testing anti-inflammatory substances: ibuprofen, ketoprofen, flurbiprofen, naproxen and salicylic acid. It turns out that in the form of a patch they do not lose their properties, they can penetrate the skin just as well as, for example, ointments or gels. It is worth noting that not all drugs penetrate the skin well. This is a matter of the molecule itself: large molecules have a much harder time “passing” through the skin. Therefore, the research we conduct aims to support the penetration of active substances.

The skin, as a natural protective barrier of our body, protects against the penetration of various substances. Our research aims to achieve the possibility of controlled release and penetration of the active substance, dosing the drug in the appropriate dose.

At what stage is the project currently? What results do you expect?

Prof. Rafał Rakoczy: The project has been implemented since February this year. It is currently at the stage of advanced laboratory tests. We have already achieved preliminary results regarding the effectiveness of various electromagnetic fields in increasing skin permeability and the effectiveness of new drug formulas. The project is scheduled for completion at the end of January 2027. We expect that the research results will allow for the development of effective and safe transdermal drug delivery systems that can be used to treat various diseases. We plan to continue this project as part of application research so that in the future such systems will find real use.

Prof. Anna Nowak: We still have a long way to go, because our research is preliminary. However, we hope that in time it will result in practical application, especially for people for whom oral administration of medication is difficult or impossible for various reasons.

What are the next challenges ahead? Will you join forces?

Prof. Rafał Rakoczy: In the future, we should focus on interdisciplinary projects that will have research and development potential and will be the beginning of the development of innovative technologies that will serve the good of humanity.

Prof. Anna Nowak: I fully share the Professor’s opinion on the directions of further interdisciplinary cooperation. Science is a passion. When representatives of different disciplines meet, who are united by this passion, there is no other option that after hard, joint work interesting, inspiring and socially important results will not be created.

Dr. hab. n. zdr. Anna Nowak is a professor at the Pomeranian Medical University, works at the Department of Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the Pomeranian Medical University.

Prof. Dr. Hab. Eng. Rafał Rakoczy is the Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering at the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin.