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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
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TAPE: A Biodegradable Hemostatic Glue Inspired by a Ubiquitous Compound in Plants for Surgical Application
Published on: June 8, 2016
Recent advances on in situ tissue adhesives
Jing Yu1, Yuxuan Yang2, Jinyuan Zhu2
1State Key Laboratory of Bio-fibers and Eco-textiles, Collaborative Innovation Center of Shandong Marine Biobased Fibers and Ecological textiles, Institute of Marine Biobased Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
Fundamental Research
|June 11, 2026
Summary
This review summarizes advances in in situ tissue adhesives, exploring coacervate glues, injectable hydrogels, and self-gelling powders as alternatives to sutures for wound repair.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Surgical Innovation
Background:
- Traditional sutures and staples face limitations in irregular wound management and minimally invasive procedures.
- In situ tissue adhesives offer promising alternatives for tissue repair.
- Systematic reviews on in situ tissue adhesives are scarce.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in in situ tissue adhesives.
- To discuss various types of in situ tissue adhesives, including coacervate glues, injectable hydrogels, and self-gelling powders.
- To highlight challenges and future research directions in the field.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent literature on in situ tissue adhesives.
- Categorization of adhesives based on formulation: coacervate glues, injectable hydrogels, and self-gelling powders.
- Analysis of adhesion mechanisms, including bioinspired approaches, chemical conjugation, photopolymerization, and noncovalent bonding.
Main Results:
- Bioinspired adhesive coacervate glues utilize recombinant proteins or synthetic components.
- Injectable hydrogel bioadhesives employ diverse mechanisms like catechol chemistry, Schiff base reactions, NHS ester/amine coupling, click chemistry, and boronic acid/cis-diol reactions.
- Self-gelling powders offer design strategies for both synthetic and natural-derived options.
Conclusions:
- In situ tissue adhesives, including coacervate glues, hydrogels, and powders, show significant potential for wound management and tissue repair.
- Further research is needed to address remaining challenges and optimize adhesive performance.
- Future directions involve refining existing technologies and exploring novel approaches for enhanced tissue adhesion.
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