Abstract
Sealing of puncture points subsequent to interventional surgeries is a vital requirement for all interventional operations. Currently, large-diameter sheaths and transapical punctures present a significant challenge for wound closure, with a high probability of failure. In this study, we’ve developed a water-activated tissue adhesive patch (WAP) designed for quick and strong adhesion to blood vessel and heart tissue surfaces after surgery. This patch consists of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivative coating and a gelatin sponge. Upon contact with a vascular or cardiac wound, the PEG derivative coating quickly absorbs water, dissolves, undergoes rapid crosslinking, and adheres to the tissue surface. This patch can endure a burst pressure more than 300 mmHg and exhibits good biosafety, thereby ensuring effective wound closure and healing. Animal studies have demonstrated that the patch effectively closes wounds and rapidly achieves hemostasis through simple adhesion. This has been exemplified in male porcine models, including heart stab wounds, femoral artery punctures using a 14 Fr sheath, and abdominal aorta punctures with a 20 Fr sheath. Follow-up evaluations indicate favorable postoperative wound healing. When paired with a suitable delivery device, the WAP stands as a potent candidate for the next generation of vascular and transapical closure device.
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All relevant data are available within the article and Supplementary information. Source data are provided with this paper. All data underlying this study are available from the corresponding author upon request. Source data are provided with this paper.
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Acknowledgements
This work is supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFE0206700 to H.O.), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (T2121004 to H.O., 92268203 to H.O.), and Key R&D Program of Zhejiang (2024SSYS0028 to H.O.). The authors thank Guizhen Zhu in the Center of Cryo-Electron Microscopy (CCEM), Zhejiang University for her technical assistance on SEM. The authors thank Dr. Zhiyang Yu from Accelerator Center of Zhejiang University for providing support on material processing. The authors thank Ms. Ruochen Yang for her contributions to the graphic illustrations in this manuscript.
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Y.H., Q.Z., and Y.G.: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Original draft writing. R.W.: Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Original draft writing. Q.Z.: In vivo rabbit and pig experiments. C.X., Q.J., R.L., and Y.Z.: In vivo rabbit experiments. Y.C.: Conceptualization, Supervision, In vivo rabbit and pig experiments. Y.H.: Conceptualization, Supervision, Reviewing and editing draft. H.O.: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Resources, Supervision, Reviewing and editing draft. All authors reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript.
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Huang, Y., Zhu, Q., Gu, Y. et al. Robust water-activated tissue adhesive patch for arterial/heart wound closure after intervention surgery. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68338-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68338-y
