Scientists develop surgical glue which seals wounds in 60 seconds

Australian and American biomedical engineers have developed elastic surgical glue which seals wound faster than anything that came before it. The revolutionary product has the potential to save lives quicker than any product made so far. Its creators claim that wounds can be sealed in 60 seconds.

The injecting glue, named MeTro, is made of natural protein tropoelastine and can be injected directly into the wound. After being treated with UV light, the glue sets in even on moist tissue, thereby eliminating the need for stitches and adhesive bandages.

The elasticity of the product is useful in operations on organs which continually expand and relax, such as heart and lungs. The time of the degradation of the glue can be modified from hours to months, so as to allow the wound to heal properly.

The glue has been shown to quickly and successfully seal cuts made to arteries and lungs in rodents and pigs.

Professor Anthony Weiss compares the glue with silicone sealants used around kitchen and bathroom tiles.

– When you watch MeTro, you can see it act like a liquid, filling the gaps and conforming to the shape of the wound. The potential applications are powerful - from treating serious internal wounds at emergency sites such as following car accidents and in war zones, as well as improving hospital surgeries – he says.

The product is expected to be made available in the next three years.

biomedical engineering

biomedicine

elastic surgical glue

MeTro glue

MeTro

tropoelastine

protein tropoelastine

UV light

Anthony Weiss

wound sealant