Physicians develop from snail slime revolutinäre medical super glue

Slime of snails has extremely useful properties
Can the mucus of a widespread snail be used as a kind of medical glue in the future? Researchers have now found that a new bio-glue from the slime of a nudibranch is incredibly strong, adapts to movements of the body and also sticks to wet or damp surfaces. The medical profession has even succeeded in sealing a hole in a pig's heart with the help of the glue.

The scientists of the internationally recognized Harvard University have now succeeded in developing a special bio-adhesive, which is based on the slime of a snail. This adhesive could be used in the future in medicine, for example, to close wounds, the experts report in a press release on the results of their study.

Researchers found that certain snails secrete sticky mucus, which could be used in the future as a kind of bio-glue. (Image: rs31 / fotolia.com)

Normal plasters adhere poorly to wet tissue
If you've ever tried to put a patch on damp skin, for example, you may know how frustrating this process can be. Wet skin is not the only challenge for medical adhesives. Also, the treatment of various internal injuries can be complicated because the human body is full of blood and other fluids, the researchers explain.

New adhesive has two special properties
Many of the adhesive products used today are toxic to the cells, and they become inflexible as they dry. The main feature of our material is the combination of a very strong adhesive power and the ability to transmit and disperse stress, says author. Dave Mooney. So far, it has not been possible to combine these properties in a single adhesive.

Arion subfuscus excretes mucus
As the researchers thought about how they can improve medical adhesives, they found the solution in a snail. The brown slug (Arion subfuscus) is a type of nudibranch that is widely distributed in Europe and parts of the United States. In case of danger, the snail excretes a special mucus, which should stick it in place. This makes it difficult for other animals to remove the snail from the surface, explain the experts. The mucus is interspersed with positively charged proteins. The researchers were inspired by the mucus to develop a special hydrogel. This consists of a so-called alginate-polyacrylamide matrix, which has an adhesive layer with positively charged polymers.

Why is the new adhesive so strong??
These polymers bind to biological tissue through different mechanisms: electrostatic attraction to negatively charged cell surfaces and covalent bonds between adjacent atoms and physical interpenetration, the researchers explain. These mechanisms make the glue extremely strong. Most previous material designs have focused only on the interface between the fabric and the adhesive. The new adhesive is able to dissipate energy through its matrix layer. This allows him to deform much more, the researchers explain further.

The glue can absorb a large amount of energy
The design of the matrix layer team involves calcium ions bound to the alginate hydrogel via ionic bonds. When the adhesive is exposed to stress, these ionic bonds will break first. Thus, the matrix can absorb a large amount of energy before its structure is compromised, say the authors. In experimental experiments, more than three times the energy was required to disrupt the adhesion of the hard adhesive compared to other medical adhesives. When the glue finally broke, this affected the hydrogel but not the bond between the glue and the web. An unprecedented level of simultaneous high bond strength and matrix toughness, experts explain.

New glue has completed very well in trials
Researchers tested their adhesives on a variety of dry and wet porcine tissues, including skin, cartilage, heart, artery and liver. They found that binding was significantly stronger in all tissues than other medical adhesives. Even two weeks after implantation in rats or to seal a hole in a pig's heart, the adhesive claimed its stability and binding, say the physicians. In addition, the adhesive did not cause tissue damage or adhesions to the surrounding tissue when used in liver bleeding in mice.

Adhesive has numerous uses in the medical field
Such a high performance material has numerous uses in the medical field. Either as a patch or as an injectable solution for deeper injuries. It can also be used to attach medical devices to their target structures, such as an actuator to support cardiac function.

Future applications?
The author Dr. Adam Celiz continues, "We can make these adhesives from biodegradable materials so that they decompose once they have served their purpose. We could even combine this technology with soft robotics to make sticky robots, or with medicines to create a new drug delivery vehicle. "(As)