An adhesive can be produced from mistletoe to close wounds.

Scientists at McGill University in Canada and the Max Planck Institute in Germany think that new biomedical adhesives can be developed by taking advantage of the strong adhesive properties of mistletoe . The researchers say the developed material adheres very well and is easy to remove in humid conditions.

Biomedical adhesive from mistletoe

The seeds found in mistletoe berries contain a filamentous substance known as viscin , up to two meters long. The seeds of this parasitic plant adhere to the host plants, allowing the plant to spread. The use of viscin, which has been used in many fields until now, was investigated this time in the biomedical field.

Professor at McGill University. Matthew Harrington says he started thinking about potential uses for the plant after seeing his daughter play with a sticky mistletoe berry. Expanding his research with a team of scientists, Harrington developed a new adhesive material that has been observed to adhere well to biological tissues such as skin and cartilage , as well as synthetic materials such as metal, plastic and glass .

The team discovered that with a simple process when wet, the fibers of viscose that adhere to themselves and other materials can be stretched into thin films or combined into 3-dimensional structures .

In one experiment, a film of viscin-based glue was applied to the skin of a non-living pig to cover cut wounds. It was observed that the applied wound closure film was flexible enough to move with the skin and had a structure that could be removed when necessary. The researchers said they will ramp up research to better understand the chemistry behind the sticky material.