All-in-one hyperbranched polypeptides for surgical adhesives and interventional embolization of tumors.

A series of hyperbranched, thermo-responsive and mussel-inspired polypeptides were synthesized and used for surgical adhesion, hemostasis and interventional embolization. These polypeptides showed excellent tissue-adhesive properties according to adhesive strength tests on porcine skin and bone in vitro, where the maximum lap-shear adhesion strength on porcine skin was 114.5 kPa and the maximum tensile adhesion strength on bone was 786 kPa. In vivo animal experiments indicated that these polypeptides exhibit superior hemostatic properties and healing effects in skin incisions and osteotomy gap; the skin incision healing and osteotomy gap remodeling were completed in all rats after 14 and 60 days, respectively. In vivo evaluation of the embolization ability of these polypeptides was performed on rabbit kidney models, resulting in successful occlusion of renal arteries, which led to gross ischemic changes in the embolized kidneys up to 16 days. A trial embolization procedure on H22 tumor-bearing rat models also confirmed the gelability of these polypeptides in tumor arteries, which might cause damage to embolized tumors. Therefore, these polypeptides are expected to be good candidates as surgical tissue adhesives, antibleeding materials, and effective embolic materials.

Mussel-Inspired Thermoresponsive Polypeptide-Pluronic Copolymers for Versatile Surgical Adhesives and Hemostasis.

Inspired by marine mussel adhesive proteins, polymers with catechol side groups have been extensively explored in industrial and academic research. Here, Pluronic L-31 alcoholate ions were used as the initiator to prepare a series of polypeptide-Pluronic-polypeptide triblock copolymers via ring-opening polymerization of l-DOPA-N-carboxyanhydride (DOPA-NCA), l-arginine-NCA (Arg-NCA), l-cysteine-NCA (Cys-NCA), and ε-N-acryloyl lysine-NCA (Ac-Lys-NCA). These copolymers demonstrated good biodegradability, biocompatibility, and thermoresponsive properties. Adhesion tests using porcine skin and bone as adherends demonstrated lap-shear adhesion strengths up to 106 kPa and tensile adhesion strengths up to 675 kPa. The antibleeding activity and tissue adhesive ability were evaluated using a rat model. These polypeptide-Pluronic copolymer glues showed superior hemostatic properties and superior effects in wound healing and osteotomy gaps. Complete healing of skin incisions and remodeling of osteotomy gaps were observed in all rats after 14 and 60 days, respectively. These copolymers have potential uses as tissue adhesives, antibleeding, and tissue engineering materials.