A team of Biomedical engineers from the University of Sydney and the United States have developed an elastic, adhesive biocompatible surgical glue that quickly seals wounds without the need for common staples or sutures. The glue is referred to as MeTro (methacryloyl-substituted tropoelastin), a protein derived from the elastic fibers that make up human tissue. It is made from a highly elastic hydrogel sealant derived from a human protein which has been configured to react to ultraviolet (UV) light. These proteins were inspired by tropoelastin, the protein that allows human body tissue to resume shape after contracting or stretching.
The glue works not only on external wounds but even on internal tissues including heart and lungs. It is designed to be used on wounds that has risk of reopening due to constant expanding and contraction. It has a built-in degrading enzyme that can be modified to last for a certain amount of time depending on the severity of the injury which allow adequate time for wounds to heal. It's this enzyme that helps separate the glue from other 'wound hacks' like using superglue on cuts. Also, this glue is made for wounds significantly larger (and internal) than what the Mayo Clinic says superglue can fix.
MeTro successfully seals cuts in the arteries and lungs of rodents and pigs. The researchers also found that that the MeTro sealant was not toxic to the animals in which it was tested, and was naturally absorbed as its components were degraded. They also noted that the sealant was stronger and was more ressistant to wound separation or breakdown. MeTro gel also represents a solution for not only tissue regeneration but repair, effectively healing and sealing incisions at the same time.
The researchers hope to begin testing the surgical glue in human clinical trial in the near future, while investigating other applications in more newly developed, but untested versions of the compound.
New Fast-Sealing Surgical Glue Closes Wounds in a Minute
An international team of researchers developed a surgical glue that can seal up even the largest wounds in a short amount of time. The glue is designed to expand and contract even with internal tissue like heart and lung. #Innovation #Technology #Engineering #InterestingEngineering #Research #Health #Medical #WellBeing #Bahrain #GuideMeBahrain
Posted by Guide Me Bahrain on Monday, October 9, 2017