title: A multiphase transitioning peptide hydrogel for suturing ultrasmall vessels.
abstract: Many surgeries are complicated by the need to anastomose, or reconnect, micrometre-scale vessels. Although suturing remains the gold standard for anastomosing vessels, it is difficult to place sutures correctly through collapsed lumen, making the procedure prone to failure. Here, we report a multiphase transitioning peptide hydrogel that can be injected into the lumen of vessels to facilitate suturing. The peptide, which contains a photocaged glutamic acid, forms a solid-like gel in a syringe and can be shear-thin delivered to the lumen of collapsed vessels (where it distends the vessel) and the space between two vessels (where it is used to approximate the vessel ends). Suturing is performed directly through the gel. Light is used to initiate the final gel-sol phase transition that disrupts the hydrogel network, allowing the gel to be removed and blood flow to resume. This gel adds a new tool to the armamentarium for micro- and supermicrosurgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA.|Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Brat
authors.affiliation: Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA.
authors.forename: Scott H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Dedi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grahammer
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Georg J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Furtmüller
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Byoung Chol
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA.|Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.
authors.forename: Katelyn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Nagy-Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandacher
authors.affiliation: Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA.
authors.forename: Joel P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000601:surgery; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008027:Light; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D044367:Phase Transition / Q000528:radiation effects; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D010455:Peptides; D014014:Tissue Adhesives