I-Corps: Protein Hydrogels for Tissue Bonding

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于可以使用重组蛋白基材料提供的先进生物医学治疗。在目前的外科手术中，水凝胶粘接剂仅限于作为缝合线的密封剂。除了缝合线无与伦比的强度外，湿表面粘合不良、强度低和高肿胀等问题限制了现有粘合剂的可重复性、适用性和采用以及其他先进组织再生材料的商业化。我们的目标是将一个能够克服这些限制并引入新功能的粘接平台推向市场。此外，利用蛋白质工程改善材料功能的能力将扩大目标市场。有效的水凝胶粘接平台的可用性将为患者和医疗保健提供者提供下一代工具，该工具可以替代缝合线，实现美容和功能上的改善愈合，减少并发症，并增加患者的舒适度。这个I-Corps项目的重点是开发一种基于蛋白质的粘接剂，可以粘合到软组织上。在我们的核心技术中，生物启发重组蛋白的一个优点是，一旦应用，它可以抵抗冲洗，因为它在体温下会溶解（不吸收水分）。一旦固化，得到的水凝胶是柔韧的，可以保持其特性，不像其他水凝胶粘合剂吸收水和膨胀。基因工程也允许功能肽序列的直接整合。在开发和测试过程中，该项目将建立设计原则，从而能够创造出具有高粘合、柔韧性和生物相互作用特性的下一代粘合剂。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project rests in the advanced biomedical treatments that can be delivered using recombinant protein-based materials. In current surgical procedures, hydrogel adhesives are limited to applications as sealants in conjunction with sutures. In addition to the unmatched strength of sutures, problems such as poor bonding on wet surfaces, low strength, and high swelling limit the reproducibility, applicability, and adoption of currently available adhesives and commercialization of other advanced tissue regenerative materials. The goal is to bring to market an adhesive platform that will overcome those limitations and introduce new functionalities. Furthermore, the ability to use protein engineering to improve material functionality will broaden the target market segments. The availability of an effective hydrogel adhesive platform will empower patients and health care providers with a next-generation tool that can replace sutures to achieve cosmetically and functionally improved healing, decrease complications, and increase patient comfort.This I-Corps project is focused on the development of a protein-based adhesive that can bond to soft tissues. An advantage of the bioinspired recombinant protein in our core technology is that it can resist washout once applied because it deswells (does not absorb water) at body temperature. Once cured, the resulting hydrogel is flexible and can maintain its properties unlike other hydrogel adhesives which absorb water and swell. Genetic engineering also allows direct integration of functional peptide sequences. During development and testing, the project will establish the design principles that will enable the creation of next-generation adhesives with high bonding, flexibility, and bio-interactive properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.