Local researchers, together with a team from the U.S., have developed a biodegradable electronic medicine made out of silicon that completely dissolves after being implanted.<br />The team says the treatment could be used to help patients with nerve damage.<br />Cho Sung-min reports. <br />When nerves in the hands and feet get damaged, it can lead to a condition called peripheral neuropathy.<br />In Korea, there are nearly ten-thousand new cases of it every year.<br />It causes pain or numbness in your hands and feet,... because the damage stops signals from your brain and spinal cord from reaching to the rest of your body.<br />Patients can feel a stabbing pain or a tickle, even from a light physical contact with others.<br /><br />To treat the condition, researchers at KAIST, a local science university, worked with a team from Northwestern University... and developed an electronic medicine that restores nerve function and then dissolves automatically.<br /><br />"The electronic medicine is made out of a special material that starts to dissolve two to four weeks after being implanted into the body." <br /><br />Made with ultra-thin flexible silicon, the medicine provides electricity that speeds up nerve regeneration. <br />They are implanted in the arms.<br />Experts say the biodegradable e-medicine is highly efficient in treating other kind of nerve damage too, such as traumatic brain and spinal injuries.<br />Also, it's more cost-effective than other treatments.<br /> <br />"I can confidently say that there is absolutely no risk of secondary damage or side effects since the device melts away inside the body." <br /><br />The new technique was published in an the online version the academic journal "Nature Medicine" in early November.<br />Cho Sung-min, Arirang News. <br />
