Research

Overview

Bioadhesives/Sealants

Elastin-based Biomaterials

Conductive Hydrogels

Drug/Protien/Gene Delivery

Microfabrication

Bioadhesives/Sealants

Our laboratory has pioneered the development of adhesive and elastic biomaterials for surgical applications. These bioadhesives are considered superior alternatives for wound closure due to their advantages over conventional methods (such as sutures, wires, and staples), including simple and painless application, reduced implementation time, and enhanced performance. The specific properties of our designed bioadhesives include finely tunable mechanical strength, strong interfacial bonding with the native tissues, biodegradability, quick and simple application, and antimicrobial capability in the case of wounds at high risk of infection. Our group has engineered highly elastic, biocompatible, and biodegradable tissue adhesives based on various extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. By tuning various intramolecular/intermolecular interactions within these bioadhesives, as well as their interaction with tissue surfaces, we have been able to control both cohesive and adhesive properties. These biomaterials have been optimized for a variety of applications, including glues for anastomosis, air-tight lung sealants, adhesive cardiopatches, nerve glue, adhesives for musculoskeletal tissue repair, and dental applications, wound healing bioadhesives and adhesive hydrogels for cornea sealing and repair. We have demonstrated that these novel adhesives are superior to existing sealant products on the market and represent a potential paradigm shift in surgical sealants, ultimately enabling sutureless procedures. In collaboration with UCLA Medical School, the University of Missouri, and Harvard Medical School, we are now testing some formulations of these bioadhesives in large animals prior to starting the first phase of human trial.

Lab Members Working on this field: Saumya Jain, Yuting Zheng, Ronak Afshari, Arpita Roy, Steven Vo.

Related Articles:

1. Jharana Dhal, Mahsa Ghovvati, Avijit Baidya, Ronak Afshari, Curtis L. Cetrulo Jr, Reza Abdi, Nasim Annabi. A stretchable, electroconductive tissue adhesive for the treatment of neural injury.  Bioengineering & Translational Medicine 2024.  A stretchable, electroconductive tissue adhesive for the treatment of neural injury – Dhal – 2024 – Bioengineering & Translational Medicine – Wiley Online Library
2. Yuting Zheng, Avijit Baidya, Nasim Annabi. Molecular design of an ultra-strong tissue adhesive hydrogel with tunable multifunctionality. Bioactive Materials 2023. Molecular design of an ultra-strong tissue adhesive hydrogel with tunable multifunctionality – ScienceDirect
3. Yuting Zheng, Kaavian Shariati, Mahsa Ghovvati, Steven Vo, Nolan Origer, Taichiro Imahori, Naoki Kaneko, Nasim Annabi. Hemostatic patch with ultra-strengthened mechanical properties for efficient adhesion to wet surfaces. Biomaterials 2023. Hemostatic patch with ultra-strengthened mechanical properties for efficient adhesion to wet surfaces – ScienceDirect
4. Shima Gholizadeh, Xi Chen, Ann Yung, Amirreza Naderi, Mahsa Ghovvati, Yangcheng Liu, Ashkan Farzad, Azadeh Mostafavi, Reza Dana, Nasim Annabi. Development and optimization of an ocular hydrogel adhesive patch using definitive screening design (DSD). Biomaterials Science 2023. Development and optimization of an ocular hydrogel adhesive patch using definitive screening design (DSD) – Biomaterials Science (RSC Publishing) DOI:10.1039/D2BM01013E
5. Ehsan Shirzaei Sani, Ahmad Kheirkhah, Devyesh Rana, Zhongmou Sun, William Foulsham, Amir Sheikhi, Ali Khademhosseini, Reza Dana, Nasim Annabi. Sutureless repair of corneal injuries using naturally derived bioadhesive hydrogels. Science advances 2019. Sutureless repair of corneal injuries using naturally derived bioadhesive hydrogels | Science Advances