New material blocks bleeding

MIT and Hong Kong University researchers have shown that some simple biodegradable liquids can stop bleeding in wounded rodents in seconds. The researchers claim the development could significantly impact medicine.

When the liquid, composed 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.

"We have found a way to stop bleeding, in less than 15 seconds, that could revolutionise bleeding control," said Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, research scientist in the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

This study appears in the online edition of the journal Nanomedicine. According to MIT, it marks the first time that nanotechnology has been used to achieve complete haemostasis, the process of halting bleeding from a damaged blood vessel.