Mechanical properties of biomimetic tissue adhesive based on the microbial transglutaminase-catalyzed crosslinking of gelatin.
Fibrin sealants are a type of soft tissue adhesive that employs biochemical reactions from the late stages of the blood coagulation cascade. Intrinsic to these adhesives are a structural protein and a transglutaminase crosslinking enzyme. We are investigating an alternative biomimetic adhesive based on gelatin and a calcium-independent microbial transglutaminase (mTG). Rheological measurements show that mTG catalyzes the conversion of gelatin solutions into hydrogels, and gel times are on the order of minutes depending on the gelatin type and concentration. Tensile static and dynamic loading of the adhesive hydrogels in bulk form demonstrated that the Young's modulus ranged from 15 to 120 kPa, and these bulk properties were comparable to those reported for hydrogels obtained from fibrin-based sealants. Lap-shear adhesion tests of porcine tissue were performed using a newly published American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard for tissue adhesives. The gelatin-mTG adhesive bound the opposing tissues together with ultimate adhesive strengths of 12-23 kPa which were significantly higher than the strength observed for fibrin sealants. Even after failure, strands of the gelatin-mTG adhesive remained attached to both of the opposing tissues. These results suggest that gelatin-mTG adhesives may offer the benefits of fibrin sealants without the need for blood products.
McDermott
Martin K
MK
Division of Mechanics and Materials Science, Office of Science and Technology, Food and Drug Administration, 9200 Corporate Blvd., HFZ-150, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA.
Chen
Tianhong
T
Williams
Christina M
CM
Markley
Kolleen M
KM
Payne
Gregory F
GF
D000818:Animals; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000737:chemistry; D005780:Gelatin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008422:Materials Testing; D012212:Rheology; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000737:chemistry*; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000737:chemistry*
D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D005780:Gelatin; D011503:Transglutaminases