Bio-inspired anti-swelling amyloid-fiber lysozyme adhesive for rapid wound closure and hemostasis

Instant adhesion to wet biological surfaces and reduced swelling of tissue adhesives are crucial for rapid wound closure and hemostasis. However, previous strategies to reduce swelling were always accompanied by a decrease in the tissue bonding strength of the adhesive. Moreover, the irreducibility of the covalent bonds in currently reported adhesives results in the adhesives losing their tissue adhesive ability. To tackle the challenge, a superior anti-swelling coacervate adhesive possessing fast self-healing properties through physical interactions (electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding) and chemical crosslinking (Schiff base reaction) was obtained with aldehyde-modified γ-PGA (γ-PGA-CHO), a natural lysozyme (LZM) and an amyloid fiber reduced lysozyme (RLZM). The instant shear adhesion strength and burst pressure tolerance of the adhesive on wet pig intestine reached 50.8 kPa (2.6 times that of CA glue) and 142.5 mmHg (5.9 times that of CA glue), and it maintained an adhesion strength of 37.4 kPa after exposure to the physical environment for 12 h and the swelling rate was only 34.0% underwater. The <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> experiments provided the coacervate adhesive with potential applicability for emergency rescue and wound care scenarios.