Scientists Develop Gel That Can Stop Uncontrolled Bleeding Immediately

Patients taking medications to combat blood thinning or those whose bodies do not produce enough blood clots require medical assistance to stave off uncontrolled bleeding. In some cases, this can turn out to be fatal.

In a new study published on Science Mag, researchers talk about a hydrogel that can prevent bleeding in a short time frame without much effort. Many types of uncontrolled hemorrhaging, including aneurysms, are often treated by inserting a small metallic coil into the blood vessel. However, this will not be a feasible solution for 47 percent of patients who are unable to form blood clots as they will start bleeding again even after the treatment. Around 25 million people in the U.S. were prescribed the anticoagulant Warfarin in 2010. The drug helps to fight the condition of blood thinning and avoids blood clots in patients suffering from heart ailments or risk of thrombosis following an operation.

According to Ali Khademhosseini, professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, today's treatments that try to obstruct blood vessels and prevent bleeding fail to work for the major population with disorders that prohibit their blood from clotting or those on anticoagulant drugs. He said that the material produced by Harvard researchers provides a solution to this problem and introduces a new type of method that eradicates the use of metallic coils, which are difficult to use and expensive too.

Along with Rahmi Oklu, a radiologist at Mayo Clinic, Professor Ali built a new biomaterial by the name of shear thinning biomaterial (STB) by mixing gelatin. This makes the consistency of the product similar to toothpaste.

The gel can be delivered to the blood vessels using a catheter to avoid bleeding. It flows through the catheter; however, once it makes its way into the blood vessel, it retains its shape and prohibits bleeding. The product degrades with time naturally.