title: Rejoining of cut wounds by engineered gelatin-keratin glue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rejoining of cut tissue ends of a critical site challenges clinicians. The toxicity, antigenicity, low adhesive strength, flexibility, swelling and cost of the currently employed glue demands an alternative. Engineered gelatin-keratin glue (EGK-glue) described in the present study was found to be suitable for wet tissue approximation.
  
  
  METHODS
  EGK-glue was prepared by engineering gelatin with caffeic acid using EDC and conjugating with keratin by periodate oxidation. UV-visible, (1)H NMR and circular dichroism analyses followed by experiments on gelation time, rheology, gel adhesive strength (in vitro), wet tissue approximation (in vivo), H&E staining of tissue sections at scheduled time intervals and tensile strength of the healed skin were carried out to assess the effectiveness of the EGK-glue in comparison with fibrin glue and cyanoacrylate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of UV-visible, NMR and CD analyses confirmed the functionalization and secondary structural changes. Increasing concentration of keratin reduces the gelation time (<15s). Lap-shear test demonstrates the maximum adhesive strength of 16.6±1.2kPa. Results of hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility studies suggested the suitability of the glue for clinical applications. Tissue approximation property assessed using the incision wound model (Wistar strain) in comparison with cyanoacrylate and fibrin glue suggested, that EGK-glue explicitly accelerates the rejoining of tissue with a 1.86 fold increase in skin tensile strength after healing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Imparting quinone moiety to gelatin-keratin conjugates through caffeic acid and a weaker oxidizing agent provides an adhesive glue with appreciable strength, and hemocompatible, cytocompatible and biodegradable properties, which, rejoin the cut tissue ends effectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EGK-glue obtained in the present study finds wide biomedical/clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Division, CSIR-CLRI, Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thirupathi Kumara Raja
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thiruselvi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sailakshmi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganesh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gnanamani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D005780:Gelatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D015202:Protein Engineering; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012212:Rheology; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D014014:Tissue Adhesives; D007633:Keratins; D005780:Gelatin