Novel Alaska Pollock Gelatin Sealant Shows High Adhesive Quality and Conformability

Background Air leakage still remains a major problem in lung resection despite the introduction of surgical sealants. We have developed a novel sealant based on hydrophobically modified Alaska pollock–derived gelatin (ApGltn), which showed high adhesive quality in vitro. In this study, we evaluated the adhesive quality and conformability of our ApGltn sealant compared with a fibrin sealant. Methods The adhesive quality of the sealants was evaluated using excised porcine lungs with ventilation. Pleural defects were created, to which the ApGltn sealant or fibrin sealant was applied. Pressure resistance was assessed using a stepwise increase of airway pressure. Conformability was evaluated by measuring the area of the sealant for its maximum conformity on the gradually inflated lung surface. Results Leak and burst pressures of the ApGltn sealant were significantly higher than those of the fibrin sealant (47.1 ± 10.5 cm H2O and 52.3 ± 9.4 cm H2O versus 33.9 ± 6.0 cm H2O and 37.5 ± 5.9 cm H2O, respectively). Maximum expansion areas of the ApGltn sealant and fibrin sealant were 2652.4 ± 324.6 mm2 and 1276.6 ± 323.5 mm2, respectively. The ApGltn sealant also showed higher adhesive quality and conformability compared with the fibrin sealant. Histological examination confirmed that the ApGltn sealant showed tight adhesion to the pleural surface, while a gap was observed with the fibrin sealant. Conclusions The ApGltn sealant showed higher adhesive quality and conformability than the fibrin sealant in an excised porcine lung model. We expect that, in the future, the ApGltn sealant will be used for lung resections in clinical settings.