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

The development of a natural, additive-free, absorbable sponge with procoagulant activity for noncompressible hemostasis remains a challenging task. In this study, we extracted high molecular weight keratin (HK) from human hair and transformed it into a hemostatic sponge with a well-interconnected pore structure using a foaming technique, freeze-drying, and oxidation cross-linking. By controlling the cross-linking degree, the resulting sponge demonstrated excellent liquid absorption ability, shape recovery characteristics, and robust mechanical properties. The HK10 sponge exhibited rapid liquid absorption, expanding up to 600% within 5 s. Moreover, the HK sponge showed superior platelet activation and blood cell adhesion capabilities. In SD rat liver defect models, the sponges demonstrated excellent hemostatic performance by sealing the wound and expediting coagulation, reducing the hemostatic time from 825 to 297 s. Furthermore, HK sponges have excellent biosafety, positioning them as a promising absorbable sponge with the potential for the treatment of noncompressible hemostasis.