title: Strong tissue glue with tunable elasticity.
abstract: Many bio-adhesive materials adhere weakly to tissue due to their high water content and weak structural integrity. Others provide desirable adhesive strength but suffer from rigid structure and lack of elasticity after administration. We have developed two water-free, liquid four-armed PEG pre-polymers modified with NHS or with NH2end groups which upon mixing changed from liquids to an elastic solid. The sealant and adhesive properties increased with the amount of the %v/v PEG4-NHS pre-polymer, and achieved adhesive properties comparable to those of cyanoacrylate glues. All mixtures showed minimal cytotoxicity in vitro. Mixtures of 90%v/v PEG4-NHS were retained in the subcutaneous space in vivo for up to 14days with minimal inflammation. This material's combination of desirable mechanical properties and biocompatibility has potential in numerous biomedical applications.
  
  
  
  Many bio-adhesive materials adhere weakly to tissue (e.g. hydrogels) due to their high water content and weak structural integrity. Others provide desirable mechanical properties but suffer from poor biocompatibility (e.g. cyanoacrylates). This study proposes a new concept for the formation of super strong and tunable tissue glues. Our bio-materials' enhanced performance is the product of new neat (without water or other solvents) liquid polymers that solidify after administration while allowing interactions with the tissue. Moreover, the elastic modulus of these materials could easily be tuned without compromising biocompatibility. This system could be an attractive alternative to sutures and staples since it can be applied more quickly, causes less pain and may require less equipment while maintaining the desired adhesion strength.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kelmansky
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: McAlvin
authors.affiliation: Tel Aviv University and Consultant in Toxicologic Pathology, Timrat, Israel.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nyska
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Jenny C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dohlman
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Homer H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Michinao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: Daniel.Kohane@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kohane
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel. Electronic address: bmizrahi@technion.ac.il.
authors.forename: Boaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mizrahi
mesh_terms: D000269:Adhesives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004548:Elasticity; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012212:Rheology; D013552:Swine; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: C516050:15-amino-4,7,10,13-tetraoxapentadecanoic acid; D000269:Adhesives; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
keywords: Biomedical applications; Hydrogels; Polymeric materials; Tissue adhesives