Efficacy and histopathological effects of self-assembling peptides RADA16 and IEIK13 in neurosurgical hemostasis

There is a continued need for effective hemostatic agents that are safe for neurosurgical use. Self-assembling peptide hydrogels have been suggested as novel hemostatic agents. They offer some advantages for neurosurgical hemostasis (e.g., transparency), but their efficacy and safety for neurosurgery have not been established. In this paper, the efficacy and safety of two self-assembling peptides, RADA16 and IEIK13, are explored for hemostasis of oozing bleeding on the rat cerebral cortex (n = 56). Chronic safety was evaluated by neuropathological evaluation at one, four, and twelve weeks after craniotomy (n = 32). An inactive control and oxidized cellulose served as comparators. Mean time-to-hemostasis was significantly shorter for RADA16 and IEIK13 compared to controls, while safety evaluation yielded similar results. Histopathological response consisted primarily of macrophage infiltration at the lesion site in all groups. This study confirms the hemostatic potential and safety of RADA16 and IEIK13 for hemostasis in the rat brain.