Natural coagulation inspired RBCs-structural inheritance microgels hybrid featured with quasi-bicontinuous structure...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Hemostatic Agents
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Junctional hemorrhage presents a critical prehospital care challenge, contributing to a significant percentage of preventable deaths.
• Existing hemostatic materials struggle to provide simultaneous high-pressure resistance, rapid hemostasis, and stable wound blockage.
• The risk of secondary hemorrhage during transport necessitates improved long-term wound protection strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel hemostatic material inspired by the natural coagulation process.
• To create a material capable of rapid, high-pressure resistant, and stable hemostasis for junctional hemorrhage.
• To investigate the formation and properties of a quasi-bicontinuous composite structure (Q-Bi CS) using microgels and blood.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of positively charged dense cross-linked structure-inherited microgels (PEDM).
• Investigation of PEDM's interaction with blood to form a quasi-bicontinuous composite structure (Q-Bi CS).
• Assessment of hemostatic performance in rabbit femoral artery and porcine iliac artery hemorrhage models, evaluating gelation time, compression modulus, and adhesion stability.

Main Results:

• PEDM self-gels within 15 seconds upon contact with blood, initiating rapid mechanical blockage.
• The PEDM-blood composite (Q-Bi CS) forms within 120 seconds, exhibiting a 5.4-fold increase in compression modulus compared to PEDM-PBS, ensuring robust blockage.
• Achieved rapid hemostasis in animal models, with bleeding controlled within 61 seconds in rabbits and 30 seconds in pigs, and demonstrated stable dynamic adhesion.

Conclusions:

• PEDM effectively mimics the natural coagulation process for rapid and stable hemostasis.
• The formation of Q-Bi CS by incorporating blood as a reinforcing phase overcomes limitations of traditional hemostatic materials.
• PEDM shows significant potential for managing junctional hemorrhage, reducing preventable deaths and preventing secondary bleeding during transport.