Modular Design of Hydrogel Adhesives for Enhanced Tissue Healing

Abstract Hydrogel adhesives exhibit significant potential in various biomedical fields such as wound hemostasis and healing. However, there is a lack of general strategies for preparing hydrogel adhesives that can be adapted to a variety of complex human environments, thus severely impeding their application. Herein, a modular design of hydrogel adhesive systems incorporating genetically engineered polypeptides is developed. In this system, hydrogel networks and protein coacervates are endowed with distinct functions. Each component plays a specific role, while they work synergistically to achieve a balance between adhesive strength and cohesion. Moreover, upon mild triggering, these hydrogel bioadhesives can be easily removed without causing any damage or discomfort to the tissues. To demonstrate its broad applicability, three kinds of hydrogel adhesives are designed and successfully employed in liver, heart, and stomach models. Robust adhesion performance of the hydrogel bioadhesives in vivo for tissue wound hemostasis and healing is showed.