1、A new invention of blood clotting gelA special kind of gel which can stimulate the process of blood clotting was invented by Joseph Alexander Landolina, an American inventor and biomedical engineer in the year of 2014. After it was released to the public, this innovation in medical science is hopefu
2、l to change our life for better.Function of the gelCompared to the traditional way of applying pressure to stop bleeding, this kind of new invention has a revolutionary high efficiency, especially for emergencies like a cut in femoral artery. The gel is actually made up of some smart biomaterials, a
3、fter being smear on the wound, it will work with the body, stop bleeding in a few seconds and help the wound to heal normally.Mechanism of the gelThe mechanism of this new invention can be closely related to the coagulation system. In the field of coagulation, blood clotting in human includes two ma
4、in steps which are the platelet activation and the coagulation cascade. To stop bleeding , platelet activation will first happens after the endothelium is damaged, and it leads to the normally isolated, underlying collagen exposed to circulating platelets, which will stimulate a series of molecules
5、to interact with the platelets. In this step, finally, activated integrins mediate tight binding of platelets to the extracellular matrix. This process adheres platelets to the site of injury. Following the activation of platelet, coagulation cascade is a continuous reaction of secondary hemostasis
6、which has two initial pathways, the intrinsic pathway and the extrinsic pathway, to lead to fibrin formation. Several coagulation factors cooperates in the two pathways and they both activate the “final common pathway“ of factor X, thrombin and fibrin.Basing on the biology pathways above, the blood
7、clotting gel target on a substance which is of great significance during the process called extracellular matrix(ECM).The ECM is actually the mesh of complicated fibers, proteins and sugars that holds the cells in place, which varies in different organs. Thus, the particular ECM in one part of body
8、can not only provide structure for the tissues, but it also gives the cells a home, allowing them to feel what theyre doing, where they are, and tells them how to act and how to behave.As a result, if a material can reassemble into the particular ECM in the wounded areas, it will directly speed up t
9、he process of coagulation. For instance, this new kind of gel, which are actually some small pieces of plant-derived polymers, when putting on the bleeding wound, it will reassemble into the local tissue, stimulate the surrounding ECM, then the cells will actually recognizes what is happening, and p
10、romote the fibrin to produce a very fast clot in less than 10 seconds which will immediately stop bleeding.Future of the gelContemporary, this new technology, by January of 2014, has been in the hands of hundreds of doctors, contributing to more safety method of coagulation and down-turn of the risk
11、 of some operations. In the foreseeable future, this blood clotting gel will have great opportunities in assistance of emergencies like earthquakes, exposures and the first aids on the battle fields.Reference1. https:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coagulation2. https:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Landolina3. http:/
