Tough adhesive could aid in neurosurgery

A strong, stretchy hydrogel adhesive tightly seals protective nervous system tissue better than commercially available glues and could help prevent complications from neurosurgery ( Sci. Transl. Med. 2024, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adj0616 ). Up to one-third of patients undergoing neurosurgery can experience complications due to leakage of the protective cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Surgeons prevent such leaks by suturing the dense dural membrane that covers the nervous system. Because it can be challenging to create a leak-proof seal with sutures, surgeons often also use glues. But existing dural glues do not adhere strongly to wet tissue , and they fracture easily, says Benjamin Freedman , a bioengineer at Harvard University. Freedman, Kyle Wu of the Ohio State University, David Mooney of Harvard, and their colleagues turned to an adhesive inspired by slug mucus and developed in Mooney's lab. The two-part adhesive consists of a tough hydrogel made