Fish Can Help Deliver Medicine
Student Summary by Emma Seo
Original Source: Ziliang Kang, Giovanni Traverso, and others, Science Journal for Kids and Teens, June 2026
https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/underwater-adhesive_article.pdf; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09304-4Image created by Emma Seo
Image created by Emma Seo
Abstract
Background: It's hard for doctors to see what's going on in constantly moving soft wet environments such as the inside of our body. It is also difficult to deliver certain medicines into our body. Luckily, we can learn from animals like remora fish. They have a disc on their head that acts like a suction cup and helps them stick and attach to other animals. Tiny flap layers in the disc, called lamellae, have been organized through evolution,and they appear different depending on which host animal each species of remora attaches to.
Objective: Researchers wanted to know if they could apply the same design of remora fish's suction discs for delivering certain medicines to bodies and for other uses. They thought that a design that can attach to varied environments and conditions, such as different animal surfaces, could be highly useful in coping with the changing surfaces inside our bodies.
Method: Researchers studied which design of the discs and lamellae helped remora fish attach onto animals the best. Inspired by the fish's ability to stick well to surfaces, they usedmicrofabrication to build a Mechanical Underwater Soft Adhesion System (MUSAS) and tested it on different pHs and surfaces. Lastly, they tested the product on live pigs and fish to see how long it lasted and if it was safe for humans to use.
Results: The lamellae are placed in different directions depending on how fast the host swims, and the disc attaches differently depending on the softness of the host's skin.Researchers found that MUSAS connects to many differentsurfaces, such as pig stomach tissue in a cup of water. It worked well with many pHs and stayed attached for days in live pigs and fish.
Conclusion: Researchers successfully built a device that sticks to soft, wet surfaces by copying the remora's disc. MUSAS could be used to deliver medicine inside the body, deliver gene therapy, monitor diseases like acid reflux, and even monitor the environment. The new discovery shows that nature can help advance our technology and solve more problems. By looking closely at the features of animals, humans can find new ways to solve problems.
