For several decades, extensive research has been carried out to replace traditional sutures and staples with surgical sealants and adhesives for wound closure. Although several surgical sealants and adhesives are available commercially, most of them do not meet all the desired design criteria: be able to set in a wet environment, create strong bonds between tissues, and exhibit no toxicity. Our research team has developed nature-inspired synthetic adhesives, particularly based on marine organisms such as mussels, barnacles, and oysters. We take cues from the way they attach themselves strongly onto surfaces in the ocean and synthesize glues that mimic their chemistry. We have recently shifted our focus from synthetic to natural materials and developed inexpensive, bio-derived and non-toxic bio-based sealant from zein and tannic acid (TA). Zein is a by-product of ethanol production from corn and has been used as an adhesive for wood. Tannic acid is a plant-based phenolic and is also one of the cheapest sources of mussel-inspired chemistry. We tested the burst pressures of these Zein and TA based sealants on a variety of tissue substrates including porcine skin, sausage casings, liver, heart, stomach, lungs and aorta. From our studies we found that our sealant can withstand pressures greater than the normal physiological pressures experienced in most of these organs. Therefore, we envision the potential application of our bio-based sealant to seal surgical incisions and wounds under wet conditions.

Zein and tannic acid based bio-inspired adhesives for surgical applications

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.