Additive-free Absorbable Keratin Sponge With Procoagulant Activity for Noncompressible Hemostasis.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Achieving effective hemostasis for noncompressible bleeding is a significant clinical challenge.
• Developing natural, absorbable hemostatic materials without additives is highly desirable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, natural, and additive-free absorbable hemostatic sponge with procoagulant activity.
• To utilize high molecular weight keratin (HK) derived from human hair for hemostasis applications.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of high molecular weight keratin (HK) from human hair.
• Fabrication of a porous sponge using foaming, freeze-drying, and oxidation cross-linking.
• Evaluation of liquid absorption, mechanical properties, platelet activation, blood cell adhesion, and in vivo hemostatic performance in rat liver defect models.

Main Results:

• The fabricated HK sponge exhibited excellent liquid absorption (up to 600% expansion in 5s) and shape recovery.
• The sponge demonstrated superior platelet activation and blood cell adhesion properties.
• In vivo studies showed a significant reduction in hemostatic time from 825s to 297s in SD rat liver defects, with effective wound sealing.

Conclusions:

• The developed HK sponge is a promising natural, additive-free, and absorbable material for noncompressible hemostasis.
• The material exhibits excellent hemostatic efficacy, biosafety, and mechanical properties.
• This keratin-based sponge holds potential for advanced wound management and bleeding control applications.