Genetically Engineered Polypeptide Adhesive Coacervates for Surgical Applications.

ABSTRACT: Adhesive hydrogels have been developed for wound healing applications. However, their adhesive performance is impaired dramatically due to their high swelling on wet tissues. To tackle this challenge, we fabricated a new type of non-swelling protein adhesive for underwater and in vivo applications. In this soft material, the electrostatic complexation between supercharged polypeptides with oppositely charged surfactants containing 3,4-dihydroxylphenylalanine or azobenzene moieties plays an important role for the formation of ultra-strong adhesive coacervates. Remarkably, the adhesion capability is superior to commercial cyanoacrylate when tested in ambient conditions. Moreover, the adhesion is stronger than other reported protein-based adhesives in underwater environment. The ex vivo and in vivo experiments demonstrate the persistent adhesive performance and outstanding behaviors for wound sealing and healing.

SUBMITTER: Sun J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8596419 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature