Biomimetic 3D-Printed Adaptive Hydrogel Bioadhesives Featuring Superior Infection Resistance for Challenging Tissue...

Conventional suturing and stapling cause additional trauma, pain, and cost for patients. As alternatives, existing bioadhesives suffer from imprecise fabrication, limited wet tissue adhesion, and insufficient biological functionalities for effective wound management. This work proposes biomimetic hydrogel bioadhesives composed of modified natural tannic acid (TA), hyperbranched polylysine (HPL), and acrylic acid (AA), abbreviated PTLAs, to offer solutions for tissue adhesion under challenging environments (underwater, body fluids, cold, pressure), and for enhanced healthcare. These PTLAs are fabricated via 3D printing, enabling the precise and controlled production of bioadhesives that are customized in a personalized manner with great reproducibility. Inspired by molluscs, developed PTLAs exhibit robust wet and underwater tissue adhesion, outperforming commercial and many recently reported bioadhesives. Ex vivo lamb and in vivo rat models demonstrate ultrafast (5 s) and efficient sealing and hemostasis. Exceptional freeze resistance and pressure resistance further expand their applicability to extreme environments. Meanwhile, coupled with superior infection resistance, PTLAs ensure enhanced wound healthcare while sealing and hemostasis. Further, their self-gelling feature supports dry powder adhesion/sealing applications, practical packaging, and long-term storage. Overall, adaptive tissue-like PTLAs present transformative potential as bio-tapes, bio-bandages, bio-sealants, bio-carriers, etc., paving the way for next-generation bioadhesives design and enhanced healthcare solutions.