EAGER: Blood Coagulation Inducing Synthetic Polymer Hydrogel

马里兰州大学材料研究部生物材料项目的EAGER奖旨在获得关于新型聚合物止血水凝胶材料的材料特性和凝血机制的初步数据。将进行结构-性能材料优化实验，以确定诱导纤维蛋白形成和产生稳健凝块所必需的水凝胶的关键化学、生物、机械和形态特征。将完成凝血因子缺乏和凝血因子抑制研究，以分离止血中的重要生物组分。将进行动态力学分析实验，以确定这些3组分水凝胶中力学等效性的各个区域，并阐明力学性能、凝血FVII活化和纤维蛋白形成之间的关系。在这项工作中开展的教育活动旨在教育和培训下一代科学家和工程师，他们将多样性视为一种优势。计划中的举措包括协助本科生和研究生教育、研究生指导以及培训少数族裔社区的高中生。不受控制的创伤每年导致全球超过100万人死亡，是美国创伤中心因身体受伤入院后可预防死亡的主要原因。 世界各地还有数百万人受伤，需要包扎以防止失血和覆盖伤口。显然需要止血技术的进步，以开发廉价、安全且能够快速阻止失血的下一代材料。这项拟议中的研究将对世界各地每年沿着死于失血的数百万人以及患有致命凝血障碍（如血友病）的人产生立即和直接的影响。一种廉价、生物相容的合成材料，能够诱导有效的凝血，将产生革命性的科学影响，并有可能挽救无数人的生命。该项目资助的学生将接受高分子材料科学和生物工程方面的教育和培训。PI将利用校园内现有的课程来招募和培训许多不同教育水平的学生，以及来自不同和弱势背景的学生。

This EAGER award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to University of Maryland is aimed at obtaining preliminary data on the material properties and blood coagulation mechanism of a novel polymer hemostatic hydrogel material. Structure-property material optimization experiments will be performed to determine the key chemical, biological, mechanical and morphological characteristics of the hydrogel that are necessary to induce fibrin formation and produce a robust clot. Blood Clotting Factor deficient and Blood Clotting Factor inhibition studies will be completed to isolate the vital biological components in the hemostasis. Dynamic mechanical analysis experiments will be performed to determine the various regions of mechanical equivalency in these 3-component hydrogels, and elucidate the relationship between mechanical properties, Blood Clotting FVII activation, and fibrin formation. The education activities to be undertaken in this work are designed to educate and train next-generation scientists and engineers that embrace diversity as a strength. Initiatives are planned that assist in undergraduate and graduate education, graduate student mentoring, and training of high school students from schools in minority-rich communities.Uncontrolled hemorrhaging accounts for over 1 million deaths world-wide each year and is the leading cause of preventable deaths after hospital admission for physical injury in the U.S. trauma centers. Millions more around the world suffer injuries that need bandaging to prevent blood loss and cover wounds. There is a clear need for the advancement of hemostatic technology in order to develop next generation materials which are inexpensive, safe, and capable of rapidly stopping blood loss. The proposed research will have an immediate and direct impact on the millions of people around the world who die of blood loss each year along with those who suffer from lethal clotting disorders, such as hemophilia. An inexpensive, biocompatible synthetic material that has the ability to induce effective clotting would have a transformative scientific impact and has the potential to save countless lives. Students sponsored from this project will be educated and trained in polymer material science and bioengineering. The PI will utilize the existing programs in the campus to recruit and train students of many different educational levels, and from diverse and under-privilege backgrounds.