Development of a Janus tissue adhesive hemostatic patch based on hydrophobically-modified Alaska pollock gelatin

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Surgical Hemostasis
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Uncontrolled hemorrhage from trauma and surgery is a leading cause of mortality.
• Current hemostatic patches face challenges with tissue adhesion and managing adhesion-related complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a novel Janus tissue adhesive hemostatic patch with enhanced adhesion and hemostatic efficacy.
• To optimize the patch's properties for improved performance in bleeding control.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a Janus patch using Alaska pollock gelatin (Org-ApGltn) and modified gelatin (C10-ApGltn) with a crosslinker (4S-PEG).
• Optimization of patch parameters including substitution degree, crosslinker molecular weight, and component concentrations.
• Evaluation of burst strength against commercial hemostatic agents and assessment of enzymatic degradability.
• In vivo testing in a rat liver hemorrhage model.

Main Results:

• The optimized C10-ApGltn patch exhibited significantly higher burst strength compared to TachoSil®.
• The patch demonstrated effective adhesion through covalent bonding and physical interactions.
• Enzymatic degradability was confirmed in the presence of collagenase.
• The patch showed competitive hemostatic performance in a rat liver hemorrhage model.

Conclusions:

• The developed Janus hemostatic patch offers a promising solution for managing severe bleeding.
• Its design overcomes limitations of current hemostatic materials, providing strong adhesion and effective hemostasis.
• Further development could lead to improved patient outcomes in surgical and trauma care.