Humpty Dumpty is infamous for his fall, which left all the king’s horses and men unable to put him together again. Perhaps if he had had access to this biomimetic invention, he would have been able to piece together a whole life once more. Researchers at the University of Utah are studying sea worms, who in order to make their underwater homes, secrete their own natural glue. These researchers are working on synthesizing the glue and using it in place of pins, screws, and other mending technology currently available. This glue will be used to repair injuries like facial fractures and joint damage by literally gluing the piece back together. The hope for this research is that this glue will be biodegradable and biocompatible with humans and that over time it will be replaced by natural bone. The goal of this technology is not for it to forever hold the fracture together, but rather be used as a bone setting application. Because the glue works well in wet conditions and sets quickly, it is ideal for this application. Furthermore, this glue can be mixed with drugs like antibiotics, painkiller and other medicines. Currently, this technology is only being tested on animals, and it will probably be a decade before testing on human subjects will begin, but if this glue proves successful it could change forever the way that broken bones are repaired.
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