Emulsion-Based Encapsulation of Fibrinogen with Calcium Carbonate for Hemorrhage Control

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Hemostasis and Thrombosis
• Trauma Medicine

Background:

• Non-compressible torso bleeding is a leading cause of preventable death in trauma patients.
• Existing self-propelling hemostats using thrombin-calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles and tranexamic acid (TXA+) show promise in animal models.
• Enhancing hemostatic and self-propelling properties of these agents is crucial for improved trauma care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the preparation of fibrinogen-calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles using a water-oil-water (W/O/W) emulsion method.
• To enhance both the hemostatic and self-propelling capabilities of trauma hemostatic agents.
• To characterize the impact of preparation conditions on particle yield, size, and fibrinogen content.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of fibrinogen-CaCO3 particles via a W/O/W emulsion technique.
• Characterization using light and fluorescence microscopy, gel electrophoresis, rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), and video motion tracking.
• Assessment of particle yield, size, fibrinogen content, hemostatic effects, and self-propulsion capabilities.

Main Results:

• The W/O/W method produced spherical, micrometer-sized fibrinogen-CaCO3 particles with variable yields and fibrinogen content.
• Particle size correlated positively with fibrinogen content; different carbonate sources and oil phases influenced particle size and yield.
• Fibrinogen-encapsulated particles demonstrated hemostatic effects and synergistic activity when combined with TXA+ and thrombin-CaCO3 particles, exhibiting self-propulsion in water.

Conclusions:

• The W/O/W emulsion method successfully produced fibrinogen-CaCO3 particles with enhanced fibrinogen incorporation and self-propulsion.
• These novel particles represent an advancement in hemostatic technology for controlling severe hemorrhage.
• Further optimization of the encapsulation process holds potential for improving the efficacy of fibrinogen-CaCO3 particles in clinical trauma settings.