No more stitches: New bioinspired adhesive to seal injuries noninvasively

Sribas Chowdhury, Adamas University, Kolkata

Biomedical engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently developed a biocompatible adhesive inspired from barnacle glue. Most of the time, wound healing and tissue repair are very complicated processes and the existing methodologies to seal a wound or torn tissue are time consuming, complex and are at risk of getting infected. So, researchers were looking for more effective solutions to deal with the problem. Bioengineer Hyunwoo Luk from MIT took inspiration from sea barnacles and how they cling on to rock surfaces. The result was an adhesive which had similar chemical composition and could stop bleeding in just 15 seconds.

Challenges in wound repair

The most challenging part of wound repair is to effectively stop bleeding. While modern medicine has progressed a lot, not much has been done in this aspect due to the numerous challenges. According to Dr. Zhao, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, repairing wounds is complicated due to two main factors: wetness and the risk of contamination from blood. The most common procedure used to repair cuts is sutures, which are again time consuming and complicated to put. Nowadays, hemostatic agents like aminocaproates, which can stop bleeding, are also commercially accessible. However, they take a long time to act and may not be effective all the time.

Bioinspiration

Bioinspiration involves observing the biological processes in living beings and utilizing the techniques to solve any problem. The most common examples of bio-inspired materials are velcro and sharkskin swimsuits. In this case, researchers took inspiration from sea barnacles, a type of arthropod mainly found in seas and rocks in seashore. What was particularly intriguing to them was the fact that these barnacles could cling on to any surface despite the wet conditions. They started studying the glue which attaches the barnacles to the rocks or any other surface and found that it was very effective in conditions similar to a wound or a cut. Then they started the process of chemical synthesis or ‘mimicking’ the glue.

The Bio-inspired adhesive

Upon analyzing the glue obtained from barnacle, the researchers found it to be very unique in its composition. The adhesive nature of glue was due to proteins which were sticky and hence helped the barnacle to cling onto surfaces. Interestingly, these proteins were found suspended in oil. This repelled the water from the wet surfaces, allowing the proteins to work properly.

The researchers then attempted to mimic this glue. The plan was to adapt an adhesive they had developed when they made a double-sided  tape to close surgical incisions. The adhesive consisted of a polymer named polyacrylic acid. It was then embedded in an adhesive organic compound named NHS ester. A sugar named chitosan was added to provide strength to the material. This was then frozen into sheets and pulverized into nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were finally suspended in medical grade silicone oil. The final product looked like a white sticky paste, similar to adhesives used at homes.

Observations and Future applications

Upon testing it on pigs, it was found that the adhesive was very effective in stopping bleeding in the liver. It even worked when blood thinners were administered and was much more effective than hemostatic agents. The adhesive seal stayed intact for several weeks, allowing sufficient time for wound healing. It also induced little to no inflammation, and could be absorbed by the body or easily removed by applying a solution.

Thus, the researchers concluded that it could be very useful in treating traumatic wounds. It is also being hoped that with further testing, this adhesive can also be used by surgeons to control bleeding during surgeries. Another possible application would be for patients with profound heart or lung failure. For these patients, plastic tubes are inserted to carry the blood outside for purification or catheters are used in arteries and veins. This always puts the site of insertion at risk of being infected. By applying the glue, the risk of infection and bleeding can be decreased by a lot.

A significant achievement in surgery and healthcare

The researchers are now keen on trying it out on larger wounds, so as to verify if it can be effectively used for traumatic injuries and surgical procedures. It is indeed a revolutionary discovery in the world of surgery and healthcare. This adhesive will allow for more noninvasive surgeries and wound healing for patients in future. The research paper was led by bioengineers Hyunwoo Yuk and Jinjing Wo at MIT and was funded by MIT Deshpande Center.

Also read: Can medical devices cause antibiotic resistance?

Reference:

1. Yuk, H., Wu, J., Sarrafian, T. L., Mao, X., Varela, C. E., Roche, E. T., Griffiths, L. G., Nabzdyk, C. S., & Zhao, X. (2021). Rapid and coagulation-independent haemostatic sealing by a paste inspired by barnacle glue. Nature Biomedical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-021-00769-y

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