Nanoparticle-Based Tissue Glue Could Replace Sutures

A new study describes how a biological glue takes advantage of the adhesive and hemostatic properties of metal oxide nanoparticles to make blood clot more quickly.

Under development at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa; Dübendorf, Switzerland), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), and other institutions, the bioactive tissue adhesive is composed of iron oxide nanoparticles produced via scalable and sterile flame spray pyrolysis. The researchers have so far studied six different combinations of silica and iron oxide nanoparticles, which they called bioglass, for cytocompatibility, hemostatic activity, and adhesive properties in a small intestine lap joint model.


The results revealed that while the bioglass showed exceptionally strong procoagulant and adhesive properties, cell membrane integrity was impaired at high particle concentrations. But when combined with ceria--a material that has well-documented cytoprotective effects--the resulting hybrid particles exhibited the same beneficiary effects as bioglass, but with superior cytocompatibility. According to the researchers, bioglass has a wide range of potential applications in surgical wound care and regenerative medicine. The study was published in the June 2017 issue of Nanoscale.

“Wound complications remain a major cause of postoperative mortality, especially in the face of multiple comorbidities. Recently, aqueous suspensions of silica and iron oxide nanoparticles have been employed to connect biological tissue by serving as an adhesive layer, eventually leading to macroscopic gluing of tissue,” concluded senior author Inge Herrmann, PhD, of Empa, and colleagues. “Addressing the issue of anastomotic leakages and impaired wound healing from a new angle is of great interest with the prospect of having direct impact on patient outcome.”

Tissue adhesives have emerged as a convenient alternative to sutures and staples for wound closure and reconnection of injured tissues after surgery or trauma, particularly in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures and image-guided surgeries, which are almost inaccessible to other wound closure methods.

Related Links:
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
ETH Zurich