Gel seals internal wounds in rats and pigs

Researchers in the United States have developed an injectable gel that can rapidly seal wounds in organs, reducing blood loss, in studies with rats and pigs. 

The closure of injuries to soft tissues such as lungs, heart, and blood vessels can be challenging due to the organs’ constant motion and elasticity.  

Researchers at the UCLA and UCSD, California, developed an adhesive water-based gel made of an elastic human protein and laponite, a synthetic clay used in biomedicine.  

The gel was effective in preventing blood loss in arterial injuries in rats and lung injuries in pigs and was also compatible with the surrounding tissues, leading to minimal inflammation. 

The results, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggest the gel has potential to be tested in human clinical trials for application in traumatic injuries where conventional sealants fail.