Pour glue on my wound
Every year, about two million people worldwide die from blood loss. Uncontrolled bleeding is the cause of more than 30% of deaths from injuries. To stop the bleeding, doctors must bind the wound tightly. But what to do when compression of the damaged area is difficult or impossible? Or is the bleeding so severe that hemostatic agents are not attached to the surface? Drawing inspiration from nature, researchers at McGill University have developed a medical glue based on structures found in mussels and flatworms.
In nature, some marine organisms adhere to biologically contaminated surfaces using adhesives with a special architecture. Mussels have plaques with a microporous structure, flatworms have glandular channels for storing and delivering adhesive liquids.
Having studied the means of fixing animals to uneven and wet surfaces, the researchers developed a microstructured bioclay formed from a macroporous rigid xerogel impregnated with functional fluids. Xerogel can quickly absorb fluids, including whole blood, and promote clotting, while the fluids in the composition provide bonding, sealing and antibacterial action.
In experiments, the bio-glue was firmly fixed on various engineering surfaces without the need for compression. When applied to a bleeding place (skin and liver of pigs and rats), the glue absorbed the spilled blood, drying the surface for adhesion and adhesion to the tissue, and provided physical sealing of the wound.
While testing the new technology, the researchers found that the new glue also promotes blood clotting. The application process is fast and does not require compression, which is suitable for situations of bleeding from parts of the body that cannot or cannot be tightly bandaged. Bio glue is easy to remove without causing repeated bleeding, and can even be left inside the body.
The new material showed high safety and effectiveness of bleeding control, ahead of existing analogues. It will also be possible to produce suture material from it and use it for drug delivery.
Article G.Bao et al. Liquid-infused microstructured bioadhesives halt non-compressible hemorrhage is published in the journal Nature Communications.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on materials from McGill University: Flatworm-inspired medical adhesives stop blood loss.