Authors
Shuaibing Jiang, Guangyu Bao, Zhen Yang, Jing Wu, Xingwei Yang, Joo Eun June Kim, Roselyn Jiang, Ying Zhan, Alexander Nottegar, Yin Liu, Zu-Hua Gao, Andrew Beckett, Anastasia Nijnik, Rong Long, Christian Kastrup, Jianyu Li
Published in
Nature. Apr 29, 2026. Epub Apr 29, 2026.
Abstract
Blood clots are pivotal for haemostasis and regeneration1, but they are mechanically weak and form slowly2, posing risks for life-threatening haemorrhage and limiting broader applications3-5. These limitations are attributed to complex coagulation cascades, abundant mechanically ineffective cells and little structural polymers. Strategies that strengthen polymer networks are inapplicable to these highly cellularized materials. Here we report a strategy that rapidly crosslinks red blood cells into tough cytogels and integrates them within blood clots. The resulting engineered blood clots (EBCs) form within seconds and exhibit a 13-fold increase in fracture toughness, and a 4-fold improvement in adhesion energy compared with native clots. Experiments and modelling identify the rupture of mechanically integrated cells as a key toughening mechanism. In vivo studies demonstrate that EBCs can rapidly halt haemorrhage, promote tissue regeneration, mitigate inflammation and foreign body reactions, and prevent postoperative adhesion. The safety and efficacy of both autologous and allogeneic EBCs were also validated. Our strategy is applicable to a range of cells and polymers. This work may motivate the development and translation of highly cellularized materials for bleeding control, wound management, tissue repair and regenerative medicine.
PMID:
42056507
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Apr 2026.
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