Biomedical researchers have developed an injectable microgel that may help reduce bleeding in infants during surgery, according to an April 3 announcement. In animal models, the engineered microgel was shown to cut bleeding by at least half.
This development is significant because hemostasis—the process that stops bleeding—is different in infants compared to adults. These differences can create challenges during surgeries, where blood from adult donors is often used to compensate for blood loss.
"My research team has done a lot of work on surgery-related bleeding in newborns, and we wanted to develop a therapeutic intervention that would reduce bleeding and – by extension – reduce the need for infants to receive adult blood transfusions during surgery," said Brown, Lampe Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The new material is called B-knob triggered microgels (BK-TriGs). "Fibrin is the main clotting protein in human blood," Brown said. "There is a short amino acid sequence called a 'B peptide' that links together fibrin molecules to create blood clots where they are needed – and these B peptides play a particularly important role in hemostasis for infants. The BK-TriGs are engineered particles that are studded with those B peptides." The particles absorb water and become hydrogels that mimic natural platelets, enhancing their ability to form fibrin networks and stop bleeding.
Initial tests using human plasma showed BK-TriGs improved clotting more effectively in infant plasma than adult plasma. Further experiments involved lab mice genetically modified not to produce fibrinogen; after introducing infant fibrinogen into these mice, researchers found "the BK-TriGs outperformed any of the other options we tested at reducing blood loss," Brown said. "Specifically, the BK-TriGs reduced blood loss by 50-60% compared to the control group."
The next steps include comparing BK-TriGs with other available hemostatic treatments either alone or combined with them. "The results we're reporting here are exciting, but we are still far removed from clinical use," Brown said. He added: "But if we do find BK-TriGs are safe and effective, we're optimistic this could be a cost-effective way to make surgery safer for infants. Manufacturing the BK-TriG particles would be relatively inexpensive – certainly in comparison to blood products."
