Surgical adhesions, which can be life-threatening complications following abdominal surgery, may soon have a preventative treatment thanks to recent research. A new gel has been developed that prevents these adhesions in animals by blocking a key signaling pathway involved in scar tissue formation.
The gel, applied as a spray or wash post-surgery, releases T-5224 over two weeks. This molecule inhibits adhesion-forming cells known as fibroblasts while not affecting normal wound healing processes. Michael Longaker, MD, professor of surgery and senior author of the study published in Science Translational Medicine, highlighted the potential ease of incorporating this gel into surgical procedures.
“Adhesions happen primarily when you injure or interact with the bowel during surgery,” Longaker explained. “This gel reduces the likelihood of adhesions without compromising the ability of the animal to heal after surgery.”
The research team includes Daniel Delitto, MD, PhD; Deshka Foster, MD, PhD; and Jason Guo, PhD. Their work showed significant reduction in adhesion formation in mice and minipigs using the T-5224-impregnated gel compared to control groups.
“The sustained release formulation of T-5224-hydrogel and the ability to easily apply it to the abdominal cavity are ideal qualities for a potential clinical therapy for adhesions,” said Foster.
Collaborating with Eric Appel, PhD from Stanford’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, researchers designed a shear-thinning hydrogel for controlled release of T-5224. This approach offers promise for future human trials.
Longaker expressed optimism about moving towards clinical application: “It’s great to find a treatment to block adhesions…Now we have enough data in a large animal model showing that this is a safe and effective treatment to talk about launching trials in people.”
Funding support came from various institutions including NIH grants and Stanford University programs. The researchers hold patents on this technology through Stanford University.
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