Close up of a pacemaker. iStock
MIT engineers have developed an innovative way to stop fibrosis. This adhesive hydrogel prevents the formation of tissue that disrupts the functioning of devices like pacemakers.
In other words, it protects the device by preventing the immune system from recognizing and attacking it and avoiding fibrosis.
But that is not all. It could also have a role in the delivery of drugs and other medical devices.
As Xuanhe Zhao said to Interersting Engineering (IE) one example could be a depot of islet cells. Those cells secrete insulin for treating Type 1 diabetes. It is useful to mention there are some conditions that may require a child to have a pacemaker.
“The adhesive anti-fibrotic mechanism is simple and general, we believe it could be suitable for pacemakers for children,” he added.
No fibrosis
Scientists already have experience with similar innovations, they created adhesives for many medical uses. The hydrogel was made from cross-linked polymers or hydrogels.
It can bind the devices to the tissue and prevent the immune system from attacking it. They coated polyurethane devices with adhesives and installed them, in for example lungs and hearts of rats.
After a few weeks, they removed the device. Tests on other animals have shown the same. There was no fibrosis. Devices like epicardial pacemakers help control the heartbeat, and the wires that are in contact with the heart can become fibrous.
When these wires were coated with adhesives, there was no scar for about three months. “We believe that the adhesive ani-fibrotic interface will be effective as long as adhesion is maintained,” said Zhao to Interesting Engineering.
Idea from 2018, neutrophils, mechanical and physical factors
Then, to investigate the immune response, they used, for example, fluorescence imaging. These additional analyses revealed that when the device is implanted, neutrophils arrive.
“Yes, neutrophils are particularly important in the early stage of inflammation. Although both glued and non-glued surfaces show inflammation early on, the inflammation on the glued surface resolves quickly. But the inflammation on the non-glued surface persists,” he explained.
The importance of mechanical and physical factors influencing immune responses was also noted.
For example, two commercially available tissue adhesives that they examined detached from the tissue. Leading to fibrosis. Another experiment included coating implants in hydrogel adhesives and soaking in a solution that removed the adhesive properties. In that case, too, fibrosis occurred.
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In 2018 he asked Dr. Hyunwoo Yuk and Dr. Jingjing Wu to stick adhesive tapes on different organs in 2018. “We noticed that the stuck interfaces didn’t seem to create any visible fibrosis,” he said.
When it comes to price, he added that they are based on common chemicals and materials. Meaning that they are not expensive to manufacture. As noted he does not foresee any major challenges in interface production.
Numbers
In the last 60 years, hydrogels have been used everywhere and for many organs. According to data from 2017 to 2021, over 20,000 publications related to hydrogels were published. About 3 million people in the world live with a pacemaker. Also, every year about 600,000 pacemakers are implanted.
The study was published in the journal Nature.
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Maria Bolevich Maria Bolevich graduated from Medical High School and Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, Department of Environmental protection. She is an environmental protection engineer, and she wrote her first scientific article as a student in 2009 which triggered her passion for science journalism. As a science, health, and environmental journalist she has been collaborating with many international media, including Nature, SciDev… She is a recipient of a number of noteworthy awards in her field of expertise.
