Shape adaptive bacterial cellulose-based sponge for hemostasis applications

Hemostasis stands as a crucial medical procedure aiming to prevent a risk of severe complications and death. Despite the availability of various commercial hemostats, i.e. oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) and gelatin sponge, limitations still persist. ORC-based products are highly acidic that often inhibit healing process whereas the gelatin sponge suffers from insufficient mechanical stability upon blood contacting. Hence, there is certainly need to desire a new hemostatic material that can overcome those constraints through an uncomplicated and cost-effective process. Herein, we developed a polysaccharide-based sponge comprising oxidized bacterial cellulose (OBC), low-acyl gellan gum (LG), and hyaluronic acid (HA). This OBC/LG/HA sponge is flexible and shape-adaptive, while maintaining its structural integrity. Additionally, the acidity of the sponge can be manipulated by a controlled grafting of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The PAA-grafted OBC/LG/HA sponge having low acidity was found to promote effective blood coagulation and the formation of stable blood clots. Notably, the blood clots formed on the PAA-grafted OBC/LG/HA sponge displayed fibrin networks without destroying red blood cells, in contrast to the ORC-based products. Furthermore, biocompatibility and degradability tests indicated that the developed biocellulose-based sponge is non-toxic and has the potential to degrade naturally over time.