Biomaterial for Preventing Postoperative Intestinal Adhesions

Intra-abdominal adhesions, also known as postoperative peritoneal adhesions (PPA) remain a challenging issue in the US healthcare system. It is estimated that over 90% of gastrointestinal (GI) surgical procedures result in PPA formation, regardless of the location or surgical technique used. PPAs can also develop in response to tissue damage caused by other factors like peritoneal tissue irritation caused by an infection. PPAs may results in secondary issues as well such as infertility, chronic abdominal pain or discomfort, intestinal obstructions, morbidity & mortality. It is estimated that PPAs result in nearly one million days of additional inpatient care, annually

 

Researchers at the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State University have developed a novel decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) based biomaterial derived from porcine tissue to prevent postoperative peritoneal adhesions. The native and modified dECM graft was found to be acellular and demonstrated superior anti-adhesive properties as validated through staining and immunofluorescence studies. SEM surface topological analysis revealed the existence of collagen fibrillar structures. Mechanical testing showed that the dECM grafts are elastic biomaterials. When compared to a commercial product, these dECM grafts demonstrate superior performance in terms of anti-adhesive properties in a model of post-operative peritoneal adhesion.

 

These dECM grafts can be used as antiadhesive biomaterials for various surgical applications and local therapeutic administration.

 

Potential Applications

Benefits and Advantages

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For more information about the inventor(s) and their research, please see

Dr. Yaron's departmental webpage