Thursday, 22 January 2026
A new research project will look at how natural therapies work within the human body.
Experts at the University of Nottingham have joined forces with Italian company Aboca on the new feasibility study, which will be conducted in collaboration with experts from the University’s Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre.
It will be the first study of its kind to use MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technology to visualise, in humans, the protective film that NeoBianiacid, a substance-based medical device, forms on the mucosa of the oesophagus and stomach.
This is the first time that MRI has been used to assess the effect of coating a natural product on the upper gastrointestinal tract and represents an important step towards a better understanding of how natural therapies work within the human body."
A new research project will look at how natural therapies work within the human body.
Experts at the University of Nottingham have joined forces with Italian company Aboca on the new feasibility study, which will be conducted in collaboration with experts from the University’s Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Imaging Centre.
It will be the first study of its kind to use MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technology to visualise, in humans, the protective film that NeoBianiacid, a substance-based medical device, forms on the mucosa of the oesophagus and stomach.
NeoBianaicd is a medical device based on 100% natural and biodegradable substances. It is characterised by Poliprotect, a patented plant and mineral complex based on polysaccharides from Aloe vera, Malva sylvestris and Althaea officinalis and natural minerals (Limestone and Nahcolite), and a flavonoid fraction from Matricaria recutita and Glycyrrhiza glabra.
A recent clinical trial published in July 2023 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology demonstrated the non-inferiority of NeoBianacid to a standard dose of omeprazole (20mg) in symptomatic patients with heartburn and epigastric burning without erosive esophagitis and gastroduodenal lesions (negative endoscopy).
The MRI study is aimed at demonstrating how Aboca's substance-based medical device forms its protective barrier in vivo.
Dr Caroline Hoad, from the School of Physics and Astronomy, and the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, and an expert in gastrointestinal MRI, added: "Our team has developed advanced techniques to visualise the contents and lining of the digestive tract, but this will be the first attempt to visualise the protective mucosal layer formed by a natural product such as Neobianacid. If successful, it will be a milestone for the non-invasive evaluation of natural products in real time."
The study aims to validate the use of MRI, a non-invasive technology to monitor the presence and persistence of the protective layer formed by NeoBianacid on the stomach and esophagus mucosa of healthy volunteers, paving the way for future applications in studying similar medical devices.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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