There is a large unmet need for tendon regeneration therapies after injury. Building upon the tough gel adhesive technologies developed at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, researchers from these institutions collaborated with a group at Novartis to create the Janus Tough Adhesives (JTAs). This two-sided biomaterial can firmly attach to injured tendons with one of its surfaces, while allowing normal gliding of regenerating tendons with its opposite low friction surface. JTAs can also be loaded with drugs that are delivered locally and slowly over an extended period of time to promote tendon healing. Using a series of injury-relevant, pre-clinical tendon models, the researchers were able to demonstrate that JTAs more effectively reduced scar tissue formation and inflammation, and promoted tendon healing when compared to existing standard of care.
Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University