Stopping bleeding quickly.(EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: eureka)

R & D, November, 2006

Simple biodegradable liquids, developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, can stop bleeding in wounded rodents within seconds. When the liquid, composed of protein fragments called peptides, is applied to open wounds, the peptides self-assemble into a nanoscale protective barrier gel that seals the wound and halts bleeding. Once the injury heals, the nontoxic gel is broken down into molecules that cells can use as building blocks for tissue repair. The gel does not induce an immune response in the animals being treated.

* MIT, www.mit.edu