Keratin hydrogel increases survival time in femoral artery injury model via potential platelet adhesion mechanism

Keratin hydrogel is shown to be hemostatic in a porcine lethal extremity hemorrhage model compared to gauze and HemCon control groups with the presumptive mechanism of action being platelet adhesion and aggregation. Results showed that keratin hydrogels reduced shock index and increased survival time in comparison to both HemCon and gauze. Experiments to elucidate the mechanism of keratin hemostasis showed that platelets readily adhered to hydrogel films and that adherent cells contained numerous pseudopods, indicative of activation. Studies employing integrin function‐blocking antibodies reduced platelet adhesion. Collectively, these studies indicate that keratin promotes hemostasis via platelet adhesion by an integrin‐mediated process. Keratin hydrogels were shown to promote hemostasis and increase survival time in a lethal hemorrhage model with platelet adhesion and activation as the likely basis for the hemostatic property of keratin biomaterials. This work was supported by the US Army, SNS Nanofiber Technologies, American Heart Association, and Mid‐Atlantic Affiliate Grant‐in‐Aid.