Microporous Hemostatic Sponge Based on Silk Fibroin and Starch with Increased Structural Retentivity for Contact Activation of the Coagulation Cascade

Hemostatic agents with diverse forms and materials are necessitated to control excessive bleeding to improve surgical site visibility during operation. The adequate use of hemostatic agents dramatically reduces the chance of dehydration, absence of oxygen, and, in severe cases, death. Polysaccharide-based hemostatic agents are widely used as they are safe for the human body. Among diverse polysaccharides, starch has exhibited a high swelling ability, but its powder formulation is limited during incompressible bleeding. Herein, starch was blended with silk protein and crosslinked using glycerol to improve structural integrity. The silk/starch solution was lyophilized to be a sponge with interconnected pores, which is beneficial to blood coagulation by increased swelling ratio and underwater retentivity to absorb blood plasma. The surface contact between the blood component and the sponge initiates clotting by intrinsic pathway activation and platelet activation without the hemolytic effect or cytotoxicity. The clinical effectiveness of the sponges as topical hemostatic agents was confirmed by animal bleeding model tests.