Prof. Hyung Joon Cha and his colleagues at POSTECH have developed new tissue adhesive that is mussel-protein based via a photochemical reaction using blue visible light. Myriad medical #applications including sutureless wound closures of delicate organs or tissues beyond surgeons’ reach.
Inspired by nature’, a new light-activated adhesive hydrogel has been developed. The innovative surgical protein glue, called LAMBA, not only closes an open wound on a wet bleeding site within less than 60 seconds but also effectively facilitates the healing process without inflammation or a scar. It works on the same principles as mussels attaching to underwater surfaces and insects maintaining structural balance and flexibility. LAMBA’s compatibility with the human body, strong adhesiveness in wet conditions, and convenient handling point to the possibility of myriad medical applications.
>>While chemically derived adhesives such as cyanoacrylates are likely to provoke an adverse reaction, biologically derived ones are not strong enough to close wounds like sutures do. A common and critical challenge, moreover, is that most surgical glues do not stick in a wet environment, which is essential for medical applications. Instead of producing recombinant mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) by modifying DOPA, a key element for the adhesive property, E.Y. Jeon et al., have created the new tissue adhesive via a photochemical reaction using blue visible light.
They gained the idea for this more economic, facile, and reliable strategy from dityrosine crosslinks that are often found in dragonfly wings and insect cuticles. When visible light triggers a photo-oxidation reaction in MAPs plentiful of tyrosine, neighboring tyrosine residues are instantly coupled into dityrosine crosslinks, which in turn enhance structural stability and adhesive properties of the new MAPs in the form of hydrogel.
>> Animal studies have proved LAMBA’s superiority to existing options including sutures and other surgical glues, potentially qualifying for an ideal tissue bonding material. “LAMBA opens numerous doors for medical practices ranging from blocking air leaks and sutureless wound closures of delicate organs or tissues beyond surgeons’ reach, to hemostatic agent and drug delivery medium, just to name a few,” commented Dr. Cha, a corresponding author of this study. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-07/puos-nms072115.php
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