Multi-Functional Self-Adhesive Porous Patches with Anisotropic Charges for Abdominal Wall Repair

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Biomedical patches are crucial for abdominal wall repair, but challenges remain in optimizing their structure, function, and active ingredients for effective, long-lasting therapeutic outcomes.
• Existing solutions often struggle with improving structural integrity and preventing complications like postoperative adhesion and infection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel self-adhesive porous patch with anisotropic charges for improved abdominal wall repair.
• To investigate the patch's anti-adhesion properties, wet self-adhesive capabilities, and ability to modify the wound microenvironment.

Main Methods:

• A self-adhesive porous patch with anisotropic charges was fabricated using a simple integrally molding method.
• The patch features a dense bottom side for anti-adhesion and a loose, porous top side with gradient arrangement for wet self-adhesion.
• Negatively charged carboxyl functional groups (-COOH) were enriched on the top side to neutralize pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Main Results:

• The patch demonstrated unique wet self-adhesive properties due to its loose porous structure and gradient arrangement.
• The dense bottom layer effectively acted as a protective barrier, preventing adhesion to surrounding tissues.
• In vivo animal experiments confirmed the patch's ability to prevent postoperative adhesion and infection, significantly improving abdominal wall repair compared to commercial patches.

Conclusions:

• The developed anisotropic charged patch offers superior performance in preventing postoperative adhesion and infection in abdominal wall repair.
• The patch's ability to improve the wound microenvironment by neutralizing pro-inflammatory cytokines is a key factor in its efficacy.
• These findings provide substantial guidance for the clinical translation of this advanced biomedical patch for abdominal wall defect treatment.