Medcura Announces Publication of Recent Study Results in the Journal of Surgical Research

April 3, 2019 – Medcura announces publication of recent study results in the Journal of Surgical Research entitled “Expanding Hydrophobically-Modified Chitosan Foam for Internal Surgical Hemostasis:Safety Evaluation in a Murine Model.” The paper describes the successful use of a flowable hemostatic product in a standard surgical injury model, followed by 6 weeks of observation; see the article here via Science Direct.The study, led by researchers at the Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia, involved delivery of a high dose of hydrophobically-modified chitosan (HM-CS) foam into the abdomen of a rat after a nonlethal liver excision. The HM-CS group (n = 16), was compared to a commercial fibrin sealant, Tisseel® (n =16), an unmodified chitosan formulation (n =16) and no treatment controls (n = 16). In each cohort, half of the animals were evaluated at 1 week, while the balance of the cohorts were evaluated at 6 weeks, all via gross necropsy (upon sacrifice) and histopathology. All subjects treated with HM-CS in the study achieved rapid hemostasis and went on to survive to their designated endpoints with no clinical signs of morbidity or mortality. There was almost complete reabsorption of the HM-CS material at the 1-week timepoint. These results suggest that certain formulations of Medcura may be effective during routine surgical applications, especially where flowable formats are most useful.“These results from an in vivo survival study are significant, demonstrating the capability of Medcura’s core material” said Dr. Grant Bochicchio, MD, Clinical Advisory Board member at Medcura and Chief of Acute and Critical Care Surgery at Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine. “With any new biomaterial, there is always a risk to leave foreign substances inside the body to degrade over extended periods. This study provides a foundation from which to build an internal surgical hemostat that may not require compression and can be safely left behind without risk of post-surgical complications.”Medcura is developing a line of high-performance surgical products based on a technology platform which enhances the adhesive characteristics of abundant and inexpensive natural polysaccharides. Through proprietary modifications, advanced biopolymers can be designed that are durable, biocompatible, bioresorbable and highly functional. The versatility of Medcura’s approach allows our products to be delivered to the OR for open, or laparoscopic procedures and even incorporated, or coated onto, complimentary product platforms. You can learn more about surgical Medcura and other tools being developed for advanced hemostatic applications by visiting our products page.