TAGS: Sustainability / Natural Adhesives
Wound management is essential to ensure a speedy and safe recovery, and tissue adhesive patches are an attractive option that can replace sutures and stapling.
In a recent study, researchers from Incheon National University (INU) Korea developed a new type of gelatin-based tissue adhesive hydrogel that locally generates oxygen through a reaction mediated by calcium peroxide, which improves the adhesiveness of the material and greatly enhances the healing process.
Precision Control and Drug Delivery
Tissue adhesive patches offer an innovative solution. They allow precise control of adhesion and mechanical properties through adjustable polymeric compositions.
These patches can also deliver drugs directly to wounds, enhancing recovery. While existing adhesive patches containing catecholamines such as dopamine (DA) have shown promise, they face challenges due to slow oxidation and weak bonding with the polymer backbone.
The team of researchers, led by associate professor Kyung Min Park set out to find an effective solution to these limitations. They developed a new strategy to produce DA-containing tissue adhesive gelatin hydrogels.
Gelatin-based Oxygen-generating Adhesives
Their approach is centered around the addition of calcium peroxide (CaO
2) as an ingredient when preparing the hydrogel solution, giving rise to gelatin-based oxygen-generating tissue adhesives (GOTs). This compound reacts easily with water to release molecular oxygen (O
2), facilitating the oxidation of DA molecules, promoting DA polymerization and healing of the wound.
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Oxygen is a critical metabolic substrate or signaling molecule in the body. In particular, hyperoxia, which essentially means high oxygen concentration, has been demonstrated to facilitate wound healing processes and tissue regeneration by promoting cell proliferation, blood vessel formation, and wound remodeling,” explains Dr. Park.
Additionally, the researchers conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrating that their GOTs improved coagulation, blood closure, and neovascularization. These GOTs, in addition to their oxygen generation, allowed for easy control of gelation and mechanical properties, providing strong tissue adhesion in the 15–38 kPa range.
Cost-effective Solution for Wound Management
Remarkably, these GOTs represent the first reported bioadhesive, and the first tissue adhesive material for that matter, that can generate oxygen. The research team has high hopes for the potential of the GOTs to become a cost-effective solution for wound management in a clinical setting.
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We would like to pursue clinical trials and commercialization of this material through follow-up research and ultimately contribute to improving the quality of human life by developing next-generation tissue adhesive materials that can be applied to humans,” concludes Dr. Park.
Source: Incheon National University (INU)