title: A biodegradable and biocompatible gecko-inspired tissue adhesive.
abstract: There is a significant medical need for tough biodegradable polymer adhesives that can adapt to or recover from various mechanical deformations while remaining strongly attached to the underlying tissue. We approached this problem by using a polymer poly(glycerol-co-sebacate acrylate) and modifying the surface to mimic the nanotopography of gecko feet, which allows attachment to vertical surfaces. Translation of existing gecko-inspired adhesives for medical applications is complex, as multiple parameters must be optimized, including: biocompatibility, biodegradation, strong adhesive tissue bonding, as well as compliance and conformability to tissue surfaces. Ideally these adhesives would also have the ability to deliver drugs or growth factors to promote healing. As a first demonstration, we have created a gecko-inspired tissue adhesive from a biocompatible and biodegradable elastomer combined with a thin tissue-reactive biocompatible surface coating. Tissue adhesion was optimized by varying dimensions of the nanoscale pillars, including the ratio of tip diameter to pitch and the ratio of tip diameter to base diameter. Coating these nanomolded pillars of biodegradable elastomers with a thin layer of oxidized dextran significantly increased the interfacial adhesion strength on porcine intestine tissue in vitro and in the rat abdominal subfascial in vivo environment. This gecko-inspired medical adhesive may have potential applications for sealing wounds and for replacement or augmentation of sutures or staples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA.
authors.forename: Alborz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahdavi
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Cathryn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sundback
authors.forename: Jason W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Nichol
authors.forename: Edwin P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: David J D
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bettinger
authors.forename: Siamrut
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patanavanich
authors.forename: Loice
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chignozha
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ben-Joseph
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galakatos
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pryor
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pomerantseva
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Masiakos
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Faquin
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zumbuehl
authors.forename: Seungpyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borenstein
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vacanti
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Karp
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003651:Decanoates / Q000737:chemistry; D004548:Elasticity; D005990:Glycerol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D008116:Lizards; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D014014:Tissue Adhesives
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003651:Decanoates; D011108:Polymers; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; C469892:poly(glycerol-sebacate); D005990:Glycerol