While common in surgery and wound care, traditional sealing methods like sutures and staples often cause unnecessary pain, trauma, and higher healthcare costs. As alternatives, existing bioadhesives suffer from imprecise fabrication, limited wet tissue adhesion, and insufficient biological functions for effective wound management.
But all of those methods could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a research team from the Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.
The scientists developed an innovative alternative – biomimetic hydrogel bioadhesives that can seal wounds quickly and effectively even under extreme conditions and environments. The work was recently published in the Advanced Materials journal under the title “Biomimetic 3D-Printed Adaptive Hydrogel Bioadhesives Featuring Superior Infection Resistance for Challenging Tissue Adhesion, Hemostasis, and Healthcare.”
This revolutionary work was led by Asst. Prof. Shady Farah, head of the Technion’s Laboratory for Advanced Functional/Medicinal Polymers & Smart Drug Delivery Technologies, and doctoral student Qi Wu, with contributions from other Farah lab members – Dr. Meenakshi Chuahan, Dr. Bassma Khamaisi, and doctoral student Eid Nassar-Marjiya.
“We strongly believe that this innovation paves the way for next-generation bio-tapes, sealants, and wound care technologies that minimize trauma and improve recovery,” Farah told The Jerusalem Post.
Background of molluscs
Molluscs are the largest group of marine animals, comprising about 23% of all creatures living in saltwater environments. They have a soft body composed almost entirely of muscle, a mantle with a significant cavity used for breathing and excretion, a limpet-like shell on top made of proteins and chitin, plus a single muscular “foot.”
Inspired by how mollusks adhere to wet surfaces, these new “PTLA bioadhesives” are made from natural tannic acid, polylysine, and other components. Through precise 3D printing, the team can customize these adhesives for different needs, ensuring high reproducibility and tailored applications.
Unlike conventional adhesives, these hydrogels stick strongly to wet tissue, sealing wounds within just five seconds and outperforming many commercial and recently reported advanced bioadhesives. Successful tests have been performed in lamb organs and in living rat models, said Farah, who earned a master’s degree in medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and did his postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives in a village near Acre with his wife, a pediatrician at the Rambam Health Care Campus, and their two children.
FARAH EXPLAINED that the thermal-induced shape memory property allows these applications via minimally invasive surgery. What sets PTLAs apart is their exceptional performance under extreme conditions, making them suitable for emergency medicine, battlefield care, and harsh environmental applications. “Nature is like a medicine chest with treatments for all kinds of conditions. One just has to discover them,” he added.
“Many research groups have tried to use mollusks to make adhesives, but we are the first to implement tannic acid for this and make polymers with the same chemistry that allows the production of molecules for this purpose,” he noted.
Tannic acid is a natural polyphenolic compound found in abundant plants, such as oak bark, hemlock, tea, grapes, and coffee. In terms of biological functions, it can inhibit the growth of various viruses and bacteria, as well as scavenge free radicals to reduce the release of inflammatory cytokines.
It also promotes the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts – connective tissue cells responsible for producing and maintaining the extracellular matrix that provides structural support to organs and tissues – and stimulates the production of collagen, thereby accelerating wound healing.
Tannic acid has been added to formulations of numerous adhesive materials as an additive assembled through physical interactions to enhance adhesive capability, but adhesion under wet conditions, especially on wet tissue surfaces, has been difficult to achieve. Unfortunately, when this adhesive was applied to wet tissues, such as rabbit liver, heart, and skin, its stickiness decreased by more than 20 times.
“We saw from medical literature that there can be surgical complications with staples and sutures, so we tried different models underwater. Our bioadhesive works speedily under extremely harsh environmental conditions, including low and high temperatures, underwater, and under high pressure. It can be prepared in just seconds. If an artery or vein is cut, the bleeding needs to be stopped as soon as possible. We would like to study its use for burn patients in the future.
Additionally, PTLAs offer superior infection resistance, thanks to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In severe cases, uncontrolled wound infections can spread into the bloodstream, leading to sepsis. Many people die from infections during the first days after surgery.
“Their self-gelling feature allows easy application as a dry powder, supporting long-term storage and practical use in diverse healthcare settings,” he added. “In the future, drugs could be included in the adhesive to promote healing,” said the Technion chemist.
“All-in-one PTLAs pave the way for improved tissue adhesion, hemostasis (the biological process that prevents and stops bleeding from a damaged blood vessel by creating a plug to seal the injury), and healthcare. They present transformative potential as bio-tapes, bio-bandages, bio-sealants, bio-carriers, etc., and set the stage for next-generation bioadhesive design.”
Physicians and scientists in Israel and abroad have reacted to the news with much excitement, and the new technology should interest the IDF Medical Corps as well, Farah said.