Wound-healing superglue developed thanks to the magical mussel

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

A wound-healing superglue has been created from the humble mussel.

The "synthetic cement" is based on the natural gum that enables it to stick to wet rock or wood.

It could be used to mend bones - or even organs, say scientists.

The biomaterial is even stronger than the real thing - and has a host of potential applications.

Project leader Professor Nathan Gianneschi, of Northwestern University, explained: "The polymer could be used as an adhesive in a biomedical context, which means now you could stick it to a specific tissue in the body and keep other molecules nearby in one place, which would be useful in wound healing or repair."

Mussels are masters of holding fast to any surface they latch onto - from boats to piers to cliffs and even each other.

Those who have tried to pry them apart know just how stubborn they are - and their secret has long captivated chemists.

For years, they have attempted replicating the extraordinary adhesive and its properties in the lab.

In just three minutes mussels stick steadfastly by using their 'foot organ' to secrete silky fibers called byssus threads.

They comprise a cocktail of eight proteins that are tough and long-lasting - even if the mussel goes away.

Now, using a novel method to arrange molecules, the US team developed a version that performs even better.

The study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society opens the door to new materials and therapeutics.

Long, linear chains of amino acids are known as TRPs, tandem repeat proteins.

They are stretchy, strong and sticky and appear throughout nature - in insect wings and legs, spider silk and mussel feet.

The first author Dr. Or Berger, from the same lab, came with the idea of arranging them in a different order.

Prof Gianneschi said: "Proteins arrange amino acids as chains, but instead we took them and arranged them in parallel, on a dense synthetic polymer backbone.

"This was the same thing we have begun to do for controlling specific biological interactions, so the same platform technology we will use for future therapeutics has really become potentially interesting in materials science."

The result was something that resembles a brush of peptides rather than looping together amino acids in a straight line as a chain.

In experiments, the protein-like polymers (PLPs) performed better in sticking cells to glass plates than mussel fibers.

It formed a cellular superglue, leaving more attached compared to the native mixture.

Dr. Berger said: "We actually did not mean to improve on the mussel's properties. We only meant to mimic it.

"But when we went and tested it in several different ways, we actually got better properties than the native material in these settings."

PLPs that mimic nature are denser and scaler - opening the door to a variety of opportunities.

Resilin, for example, a stretchy protein found in insect legs and wings, could be used to make flexible drones and other robotics.

Added Prof Gianneschi: "When you talk about polymers, some people immediately think of plastic bags and bottles.

"Instead, these are very functional, advanced precision materials, made accessible."