Iontophoresis. (Huh!!! Whot Whot???)

A method of drug delivery.

In 1890 Thomas Edison suggested that iontophoresis could transport medication through the skin. In 1910 Professor Santi did the following experiment:-

1) A quantity of Iodine was painted on to the skin.

2) The cathodal electrodes of a galvanic machine were placed on the stain.

3) After +- 20 minutes the stain had disappeared - The Iodine had been transported through the skin on a stream of ions.

4) Up till the 1960's this system was practiced by practitioners of physical medicine (or physiotherapists) using Histamine Dihydrochloride for fractures, sprains etc. 5) Histamine Dihydrocloride when used on a patient prone to asthma etc. (Brought on a full-blown asthma attack.)

6) This system was abandoned in favor of new NSAID'S (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug) for that reason.

7) The side effects of this system were: a) Deep seated slow healing burns. (Where skin contact was not achieved) b) Skin rashes caused by heat generated by Iontophoresis. c) High amperage made treatment dangerous, (10 milliamps per square inch) and therefore unsuitable for patients with pace-makers etc.

The iontophoresis idea suggested by Thomas Edison was followed up by Nikola Tesla in 1890. At the time the technology was not available to construct such a unit. From 1910 until 1960 crude machines were used for treating injuries, the name of the system changed with time from Ionization to Electrophoresis and Iontophoresis.

During the 1960’s and 70’s the system fell into disuse as the result of its expense, side-effects and need for constant monitoring.

Iontophoretic Drug Delivery.

In 1976, thanks to the efforts of Prof Chris Barnard, South Africa became a leader in the field of transplantation. In 2005 South Africa can, with this new treatment technology, take the lead in the science of virology, and in addition, save the lives of millions of people world wide.

In 1996 Maxwell et al studied the Iontophoresis System and looked for more efficient and safer delivery systems. He found that particle transfer was safer and more rapid. They therefore began trails using Acyclovir as the medication using particle induction to inject the medication directly into the infected cell.

We Took The Idea And Perfected It!

During 1998 with the advantage of Cryotechnology and Particle Flow research, Lectroject became possible. This system was perfected in 2001 at which time it went to trial. In 2003 the Lectroject system was reported in the Medical Cronical in the RSA as a significant advance in virology. This put Iontophoresis vs. Particle Induction in the same category as transport via donkey cart to transport via train or truck.

With this new technology, atoms of the medication are carried along a magnetic field to the infected cells, where they penetrate the membrane of the cells and interfere with the DNA of the virus so it is no longer able to replicate, in theory this removes the virus. With this device, problems as diverse as Soft Tissue Injuries, Asthma, Viral Diseases, Fungal Infections, Migraine, Acne and Allergy Conditions could be treated.

Lectroject has been in use since 1996 in South Africa. The machine has been approved by all Medical and Health departments here in South Africa. To get this approval and in order to have our findings published in a medical journal the system had to undergo double blind trials and we had to have 300 cases. The machine is not in itself a curative device. (It is not a drug) The machine is a super efficient drug delivery system which brings the success rate of Acyclovir from 47% to 85%.

Mode Of Action

The machine works by phosphorylaing acyclovir to acyclovir diphosphate in the presence of thymidine kinase, it next phospholates acyclovir diphosphate to acyclovir triphosphate in the presence of guanylate kinase which acts as a virostatic. In other words it controls viruses.

News Flash

During January/February 2006 a patient suffering from Aids was treated over a period of 10 days. During that time his total viral load was reduced from 170,000 particles to 92,000 particles.

This does not imply that Lectroject can cure Aids as large-scale trails will have to be carried out, however it shows a commitment to continuing research by the inventors. Once again we stress that the above result was seen in ONE individual and that no claims are made concerning Aids.

Transdermal histamine iontophoresis: differential effects of season, gender, and body region.

Histamine iontophoresis is demonstrated to be a reliable model for the study of inflammatory skin responses. It has the advantage of a non-invasive and uniform mode of application and is free of unwanted side effects. The wheal and flare responses to histamine are linearly related to dose over a wide range of stimulus strengths (r = 0.88). In summer, wheal responses were smaller, probably due to increased thickness of the epidermis. Female subjects generally expressed larger wheal responses than males, presumably due to differences in epidermal thickness and structure. There were significant regional differences in wheal, flare, and laser Doppler recorded flux responses. Ratings of itch sensations also showed clear, but less pronounced, differences of body regions. Significant regional differences of wheal and flare responses existed. Sensory discrimination of different stimulus levels was demonstrated with visual analogue scale ratings.

Source: Institut für Physiologie und Biokybernetik, University of Erlangen, F.R.G.