Algae-inspired adhesive for use in minimally invasive surgeries

The Problem

Current methods of wound closure are inconvenient for internal use, especially in laparoscopy and minimally invasive surgeries, leaving an unmet need in surgeons’ toolbox [1]–[3]. Although sutures have high tensile strength [3], [4], they are prone to infection and their repeated punctures damage surrounding tissues [3], [5]. Further, sutures are time-consuming and complicated to apply to difficult-to-access areas of the body [1], [3]. While some adhesives based on natural polymers are approved for medical use, they are limited by their low adhesion strength, complex preparation procedures, and unfavourable adverse events such as possible disease transmission and thrombosis [2], [3], [6], [7]. Additionally, most of these internal adhesives are only used in very specific surgical procedures for which they are exclusively suited [3], [7].

The Solution

Kelserra proposes to create a biomimetic surgical adhesive inspired by the adhesion mechanism used by brown algae (Fucus serratus) and primarily composed of alginate, phloroglucinol, and calcium ions. Preliminary research has shown that such a formulation can be as strong as commercial fibrin sealant, which is the most commonly used type of internal surgical adhesive, but without any of the health risks associated with fibrin sealants [2]. The primary goal is to develop and test a formulation that will maximize wet adhesion strength, minimize curing time, and maintain biocompatibility for a wide range of laceration lengths. Thus, the aim is to decrease surgery time and improve patient outcomes compared to current internal wound closure methods in minimally invasive surgery. 

Team Leads

References

[1] N. Annabi, A. Tamayol, S. R. Shin, A. M. Ghaemmaghami, N. A. Peppas, and A. Khademhosseini, “Surgical materials: Current challenges and nano-enabled solutions,” Nano Today, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 574–589, Oct. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.nantod.2014.09.006.

[2] R. Bitton, E. Josef, I. Shimshelashvili, K. Shapira, D. Seliktar, and H. Bianco-Peled, “Phloroglucinol-based biomimetic adhesives for medical applications,” Acta Biomater., vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 1582–1587, Jun. 2009, doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2008.10.004.

[3] L. Sanders and J. Nagatomi, “Clinical Applications of Surgical Adhesives and Sealants,” Crit. Rev. Biomed. Eng., vol. 42, no. 3–4, pp. 271–292, 2014, doi: 10.1615/CritRevBiomedEng.2014011676.

[4] J. A. Von Fraunhofer, R. S. Storey, I. K. Stone, and B. J. Masterson, “Tensile strength of suture materials,” J. Biomed. Mater. Res., vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 595–600, May 1985, doi: 10.1002/jbm.820190511.

[5] J. V. Quinn, Ed., Tissue adhesives in clinical medicine, 2nd ed. Hamilton: BC Decker, Inc, 2005.

[6] K. Modaresifar, S. Azizian, and A. Hadjizadeh, “Nano/Biomimetic Tissue Adhesives