Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Bioinspired Adhesive for Fetal Surgery & Repairs:

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Researchers Develop Bioinspired Adhesive for Fetal Surgery & Repairs:

For over 20 years, Professor Phillip Messersmith from Berkeley has drawn inspiration from nature to develop innovative resins and adhesives for medical and industrial applications. This approach, which he refers to as bioinspiration, involves studying natural molecules to create synthetic counterparts in the lab.

Manipulate Lipoic Acid Chemistry to Improve Stability:

Messersmith’s early work focused on the "glue proteins" secreted by mussels to attach to surfaces, and his research has expanded to include other natural molecules, such as lipoic acid. This molecule, produced in the human body to support cell respiration and energy production, also serves as a monomer for creating larger polymers.

According to Messersmith, lipoic acid’s inherent flexibility makes it a versatile material. However, Subhajit Pal, a postdoctoral researcher in his lab, discovered, that the polymerized form of lipoic acid tends to degrade when exposed to water. This challenge has motivated ongoing research into improving its stability and broadening its potential applications.

Water-activated Superglue:

By modifying 7 to 15 percent of lipoic acid monomers with the molecule N-hydroxysuccinimide, Pal created a stable solution that would form a superglue on contact with water. That superglue could be applied during surgery to incisions in the amniotic sac, the layers of tissue surrounding a fetus in the uterus.

Starting small, Messersmith’s team applied the new polymer adhesive via a “patch” to the fetal membranes of lab mice, into which they poked holes. All of the mice fetuses in patched uteruses survived without issue while all of the “control” mice died.

The next step is to try the polymer adhesive on a larger animal like a sheep. If that works, it’s on to humans. An effective superglue holds promise for pregnant women in two situations: one, when the fetal membranes rupture spontaneously in the third trimester and need to be repaired; and two, when a surgeon needs to enter the uterus to perform a procedure on the fetus and then patch the surgical incision.

“That’s why we do this, to eventually apply it to humans,” Messersmith says.

Source: University of California, Berkeley/adhesives.specialchem.com