CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — A team of scientists have taken inspiration from slug mucus to create a new surgical sealant that can patch up wounds, even on wet surfaces. <br /> <br />Though readily available in the market, current glues are often inflexible and don't stick well to fluid-covered human tissue. They may even be toxic to cells, according to the Wyss Institute. <br /> <br />In engineering a more effective medical adhesive, Harvard University researchers looked to the Dusky Arion slug, whose glue-like mucus secretions are made of positively-charged proteins in a tough matrix. <br /> <br />The team's version uses a water-based material called hydrogel and has two layers: a matrix, and an adhesive layer peppered with positively-charged polymers. <br /> <br />The polymer forms bond with the negatively-charged cells on the tissues, while being held in place and kept flexible by the hydrogel. <br /> <br />When tested on different organs, the glue stayed intact even when applied to the curved, moving tissue of a beating pig's heart. <br /> <br />Though being touted as the future of sutures, further testing is still required, so it may take years before this new bio-glue can finally heal human wounds.
