The Cure To A “Broken Heart”

 

Photos by: Randal McKensie from http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/devices/light-activated-glue-can-heal-broken-hearts

A new superglue has been invented that may potentially patch up holes in blood vessels and in the heart. The amazing thing about this adhesive is that it is a waterproof, non-toxic polymer that bonds quickly when exposed to UV light and is elastic enough to flex with the cardiac tissues. According to its developers, Jeffrey M. Karp, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Dr. Pedro del Nido, a cardiac surgeon at Boston Children's Hospital, the adhesive joins the edges of a wound together and is as strong as staple or suture.

According to Karp, this invention was inspired by slugs who excretes goo that sticks to wet surfaces. This secretion is viscous and water-repellant. Similar to this, the glue is thick and won’t get washed away even when applied to a wet organ.

So far, the research team has tested the glue on rats and pigs and the tests have proven the invention to be effective. For the rats, the team tried closing heart defects and for the pigs, they tried closing cuts in the arteries of the pig. Further studies is still needed to see if the glue would be safe for humans and how it performs in longer durations, but according to Karp, the glue might be available in two to three years’ time.

Although there are existing wound adhesives, it is not suitable for some tissues and it takes a long time for the seal to close up. Also, it is possible that in the near future, this new discovery would eventually replace staples and stitches in repairing heart defects, as the usage of stitches and staples has a possibility to cause damages to fragile tissue and is a very difficult process.

If the new adhesive is proven to be safe for humans and is effective, it would be a big breakthrough in the medical world. Also it would make heart surgeries a lot safer.

Blogpost by: Carl Chan

References:

Emspak, Jesse. "New Glue Could Mend Broken Hearts." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2014. <http://www.livescience.com/42420-new-glue-could-mend-broken-hearts.html>.

Briggs, Helen. "Medical Glue 'can Fix Broken Heart'" BBC News. BBC, 01 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25641030>.

Strickland, Eliza. "Light-Activated Glue Can Heal Broken Hearts." IEEE Spectrum. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. <http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/devices/light-activated-glue-can-heal-broken-hearts>.

Diep, Francie. "A Glue That Seals Heart Defects." Popular Science. N.p., 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. <http://www.popsci.com/article/science/glue-seals-heart-defects>.