Microchannelled alkylated chitosan sponge to treat noncompressible hemorrhages and facilitate wound healing

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 4733
• Main Authors: Du, Xinchen, Wu, Le, Yan, Hongyu, Jiang, Zhuyan, Li, Shilin, Li, Wen, Bai, Yanli, Wang, Hongjun, Cheng, Zhaojun, Kong, Deling, Wang, Lianyong, Zhu, Meifeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 05-08-2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13; 13/107; 631/443/1338/2729; 631/61/2035; 631/61/54/990; 639/166/985; Alkylation; Animal models; Animals; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Bacterial Infections - prevention & control; Battlefields; Blood Coagulation; Chitosan; Chitosan - analogs & derivatives; Chitosan - chemistry; Coagulants; E coli; Engineers; Freeze drying; Gauze; Gelatin; Hemorrhage; Hemorrhage - therapy; Hemostatic Techniques - instrumentation; Hepatocytes; Humanities and Social Sciences; In situ leaching; Leaching; Liver; Liver - injuries; Liver Diseases - pathology; Liver Diseases - therapy; Liver Regeneration; Male; Materials Testing; Microchannels; Microfibers; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; multidisciplinary; Porosity; Rats; Regeneration; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Shape memory; Sponges; Surgical Sponges; Swine; Swine, Miniature; Three dimensional printing; Tissue engineering; Vascularization; Wound Healing
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24972-2

Developing an anti-infective shape-memory hemostatic sponge able to guide in situ tissue regeneration for noncompressible hemorrhages in civilian and battlefield settings remains a challenge. Here we engineer hemostatic chitosan sponges with highly interconnective microchannels by combining 3D printed microfiber leaching, freeze-drying, and superficial active modification. We demonstrate that the microchannelled alkylated chitosan sponge (MACS) exhibits the capacity for water and blood absorption, as well as rapid shape recovery. We show that compared to clinically used gauze, gelatin sponge, CELOX™, and CELOX™-gauze, the MACS provides higher pro-coagulant and hemostatic capacities in lethally normal and heparinized rat and pig liver perforation wound models. We demonstrate its anti-infective activity against
S. aureus
and
E. coli
and its promotion of liver parenchymal cell infiltration, vascularization, and tissue integration in a rat liver defect model. Overall, the MACS demonstrates promising clinical translational potential in treating lethal noncompressible hemorrhage and facilitating wound healing.
Developing effective treatments for noncompressible hemorrhages remains a challenge. Here the authors engineer alkylated chitosan sponges with highly interconnective microchannels and demonstrate anti-infective activity, as well as higher pro-coagulant, hemostatic and wound healing capacities compared to clinically-used materials in rat and pig liver models.