Nanostructured Biomaterials for Treatment of Hemorrhagic Shock

Hemorrhagic shock is a leading cause of death after penetrating injury on the battlefield. Surgical approaches to achieving hemostasis such as fibrin glue and tissue adhesives are effective but difficult to apply on the battlefield. This reality has motivated the development of several combat hemostats; however, those currently in use are limited in the types of wounds they can treat, must be removed from the patient, and are not effective in inducing regenerative healing. In this proposal, we aim to develop a nanostructured hemostatic gel that can both stop the flow of blood and induce subsequent regeneration of tissue. The material will be fabricated using novel artificially engineered protein polymer/hyaluronic acid interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels in order to mimic the properties of the natural extracellular matrix and provide an engineered platform for the incorporation of biofunctional signals into the gel. The material will be completely biodegradable and bioresorbable, making it unnecessary to remove the hemostat after application. The properties of these gels will be engineered to realize the high modulus, resilience, and toughness required to withstand systolic blood pressure. Finally, protein signals incorporated into the matrix will be used to promote the desired wound healing responses.