Researchers in the Netherlands have teamed up with British drug company GlaxoSmithKline to develop electrical implants in order to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
The small device, which its creators claim to be "pain-free," looks like a pacemaker and works by being implanted under the skin to send electrical signals to electrodes that are surgically inserted into the neck, according to The Independent. The research team positioned the device adjacent to the vagus nerve, which they say is responsible for regulating the immune system's activity through the spleen.
A vagus nerve simulator is included that users can turn on or off any time they want by moving a magnet over the implant.
The goal of the implant is to treat rheumatoid arthritis, the second most common form of arthritis in the U.K. and the most common inflammatory joint disorder, The Guardian reported. Symptoms of this disorder include joint pain, swelling, stiffness and fatigue.
The study, which was conducted at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, resulted in over half of 20 patients experiencing improvements in their condition. One of these patients, Monique Robroek, previously needed to take powerful drugs to ease her pain, but she says she felt no pain within six weeks of being fitted with the implant.
"I have my normal life back," Robroek said, adding that she can now walk her dog, drive her car and ride her bike.
"It is like magic."
Professor Paul-Peter Tak, who led the study, said electrical implants could serve as an alternative to using drugs to treat arthritis, The Independent reported.
"Even in patients who have failed everything, including the most modern pharmaceuticals, we have seen a clear trend of improvement," he told Sky News.
Tak added, "We may be able to achieve remission in 20% to 30% of patients, which would be a huge step forward in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis."
GlaxoSmithKline's Kris Famm believes the implants could eventually be used to treat other conditions like asthma, obesity and diabetes.
