Surgery : a glue closes the wound in 60 seconds

University of Sydney

Published the 06.10.2017 at 15h09

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The material developed at the universities of Sydney (Australia), Northeastern and Harvard (United States), and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, called MeTro, could well change the way we work surgeons. For the moment, for wound closure caused by a trauma or by a scalpel, they suturent in principle with wires or staples.

MeTro, which is in the form of a gel, could be much more efficient and convenient to use. He would be able to heal the wounds in only a minute, and could be used on the skin, such as on the internal organs.

An attached bathroom for human tissues

The material combines a protein found naturally in human cells, the tropoélastine, with a polymer. Its application is relatively simple : it is in the form of a gel, it is easier to inject in the desired location. Then, simply expose to UV light for a few tens of seconds for it to take its final shape, and seals the wound.

“The beauty of the formulation of the MeTro lies in its ability to form a solid gel when it comes into contact with the surfaces of the tissues, thus limiting the risk of sinking,” says Nasim Annabi, a senior researcher at the chemical engineering department of Northeastern university, and one of the authors of the study. The UV exposure is then used to adhere deep into the tissue structure, and the interstices created by the wound.

It works, according to the researchers, a bit like a silicone seal for bathroom : its application and infiltration are facilitated by its liquid appearance, and its stability by its hardening.