A Natural Biological Adhesive from Snail Mucus for Wound Repair

The discovery of the natural adhesion phenomena and mechanisms has advanced the information and development of a new generation of tissue adhesives in recent decades. In this study, we developed a natural biological adhesive from snail mucus consisting of a positively charged protein network and a polyanionic glycosaminoglycan network. The malleable bulk adhesive matrix could adhere to wet tissue through multiple interactions. The biomaterial exhibited excellent hemostatic and tissue adhesion properties in vitro and in vivo, and was also effective in accelerating the healing of full-thickness skin wounds in both normal and diabetic rats. The natural biomaterial effectively promoted the polarization of macrophages toward the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, alleviated inflammation in chronic wounds, and significantly improved epithelial regeneration and angiogenesis. Its abundant heparin-like glycosaminoglycan component was indispensable. These findings provide theoretical and material insights into bio-inspired tissue adhesives and bioengineered scaffold designs.近几十年来，自然粘附现象与机制的发现推动了新一代组织粘合剂的研发与发展。本研究从蜗牛粘液中研发出一种天然生物粘合剂，其由带正电的蛋白质网络与聚阴离子糖胺聚糖（glycosaminoglycan）网络共同构成。该柔性块状粘附基质可通过多重相互作用与湿润组织实现粘附。该生物材料在体外与体内实验中均展现出优异的止血与组织粘附性能，同时可有效促进正常大鼠与糖尿病大鼠的全层皮肤伤口愈合。此天然生物材料可有效推动巨噬细胞向抗炎性M2表型极化，缓解慢性创面炎症，并显著促进上皮再生与血管生成，其中富含的类肝素糖胺聚糖组分发挥了不可或缺的作用。本研究结果为仿生组织粘合剂与生物工程支架的设计提供了理论与材料层面的重要参考。