In Situ Photo-crosslinkable Biodegradable Tissue Adhesive for Wound Healing

Tissue adhesives are widely used in various medical fields for tissue bonding and wound closure. Existing glue-type tissue adhesives have disadvantages such as low biocompatibility or a long reaction time to achieve firm tissue adhesion. Herein we developed photocurable tissue adhesives by introducing photocrosslinkable methacrylate (MA) groups into biodegradable hyaluronic acid (HA) that enables strong tissue adhesion and wound sealing. The photocurable tissue adhesive formed a stable hydrogel layer with good tissue adhesion following short UV exposure (<5 s). By controlling the substitution rate of MA and polymer concentration, the mechanical properties and adhesion strength of the tissue adhesive could be easily manipulated. From the incisional wound animal model, the HA-based tissue adhesive used in this study showed better tissue adhesion and faster wound healing efficacy compared to commercial glues. Considering the high biocompatibility and biodegradability of HA, this photocurable adhesive would be useful in wound healing of various soft tissues.