Tendon injuries happen when you play sports or get older. Either way they hurt your body a lot, and can even stop you from moving your arms and legs. What's worse is that tendon injuries take a long time to heal - even after doing so, they may not be as strong as before and this makes it difficult to return to mobility.
Il Harvard's Wyss Institute has just developed a two-sided biomaterial: one side binds firmly to the tendons and another, more fluid side, harmonizes with the other tissues. The biomaterial can also be filled with slow-release drugs to minimize scarring and inflammation.
A snail 'drool' to repair tendons
For their new study, the Wyss researchers worked from a surgical adhesive gel they developed a few years ago. A material inspired by the slime of the snail Arion Fuscus. They then changed the platform to create a new one hydrogel, who called Janus Tough Adhesive (JTA) from the name of the two-faced Janus.
The function is clearly explained: Janus holds the tendons together to make them heal faster, but its external side 'flows' better on the other tissues allowing a more fluid movement.
The tests
The team tested different types of human and animal tissues. He found that JTAs worked particularly well on pig and mouse tendons, and they also saw similar results with human cadavers. In further testing, the team placed corticosteroid in the hydrogel, applying it to a murine hamstring injury. The inflammation went away much faster.
“Importantly, when we applied JTA to the rats' patellar tendons, they remained in place during their three-week implantation and facilitated healing of the tendon,” he says Benjamin Freeman, first author of the study.
It also reduced scar formation by 25%, compared to surgically repaired tendons
Benjamin Freeman
Although tests still need to be conducted on living people, the team says that all components of the JTAs are biocompatible, which is an important first step.
The research was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
