BOSTON, Massachusetts– As any person who has had surgery can attest that stitches can cause many problems. Besides basic irritation to the site, stitches can take weeks to heal and can quickly attract bacteria causing infections. A Boston medical team is working on ameliorating such problems through the development of a new medical glue. Though there is already a form of skin glue being used to replace traditional sutures on outer incisions and wounds, the new glue is being created to function on internal organs, particularly the heart. Jeffrey Karp, Robert Langer and Dr. Pedro del Nido are the main players developing the new glue. Dr. del Nido, a cardiac surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital, is the practical motivating force due to his experience operating on child and infant hearts. Karp and Langer, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital bioengineer and MIT scientist respectively, developed the glue based on the secretions of slugs which remain sticky regardless of the presence of water. This is highly important since current skin glues rely on a dry area that remains minimally flexible while the skin heals. Karp, Langer and del Nido have proven in lab and animal tests that the glue can not only withstand the liquid-filled environment of the heart but also stay flexible enough to attach the muscles. The technology is so effective because the glue does not merely adhere to the surface of the tissue but interlocks with the collagen itself to create a stronger bond. Furthermore, the glue is biodegradable so that after the tissue has had time to reattach there is no procedure required to remove the sutures. With their development, the trio could make surgery safer and less invasive. Difficult injuries involving internal organs such as the intestines could become safer and easier to treat with a glue that is less likely to tear apart or require the patient to remain immobile. This innovation could transform medical aid that is given in third world countries making it a key innovation of modern day. – Katey Baker-Smith Sources: The Boston Globe, BBC Photo: INSERTSOURCE
