The research team led by Prof. Wang Lu and Assoc. Prof. Li Chaojing from DHU’s College of Textiles has made significant progress in abdominal wall reconstruction in collaboration with Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University. The team has published an article titled “Hernia Mesh with Biomechanical and Mesh–Tissue Interface Dual Compliance for Scarless Abdominal Wall Reconstruction” in Advanced Functional Materials. Jiao Yongjie, aPhD student from the College of Textiles, is the first author; Prof. Wang Lu, Assoc. Prof. Li Chaojing, and LiShaojie, a deputy chief physician fromthehospital, are the corresponding authors.
The team developed a composite patch aimed at achieving scarless regeneration of the abdominal wall. It serves three crucial functions: matching the mechanical properties of the abdominal wall tissue, ensuring excellent tissue adherence and achieving fixation without the need for nails, and providing long-term mechanical support to the regenerative tissue.The patch’s mechanical and bionic characteristicsenable it to alleviate patients’painand deliver appropriate mechanical stimulation to the defect, thus facilitating the reconstruction of a multi-layer structure in the abdominal wall. Remarkably, the patch can adhere to the tissue surface within a mere 10 seconds, significantlyreducing surgical time by eliminating the need for the surgeon to sew it during the operation. The patchalso solves a challenge in traditional patch stitching and enhances the regeneration effect by reducing the stress concentrationat the fixation site.
Fig. 1 Preparation process and repair mechanism of the composite patch
Fig. 2 In vivo repair effect of the composite patch
