Mechanically tunable, antibacterial and bioactive mussel adhesive protein/hyaluronic acid coacervates as bioadhesives

In this work a bioadhesive was developed based on coacervates composed of recombinant mussel adhesive protein (MAP) and dopamine grafted hyaluronic acid (HA). Dopamine profoundly affected rheological attributes of the coacervates, leading to reduced rigidity, enhanced chain flexibility, more sol-like and fluid character and higher tolerance against structural collapse. The coacervates were rendered flowability, injectability, and adaptability, benefiting convenient delivery and making good contact with the skin to provide firm sealing for wounds of various shape and depth. It is the first time reported that MAP/HA coacervates are inherently anti-bacterial with 100 % growth inhibition against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The antibacterial capability was disclosed to be positively related to catechol content. To further enhance the coacervates bioactivity, a small bioactive peptide thymosin was added and was revealed to promote fibroblasts migration. The coacervates hold great potential as practical bioadhesives both from the perspective of rheological properties and biological activities.