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| Down Under |
| 'Frog's glue' could mend knees |
| 2004-10-09 |
| A sticky substance from the skin of frogs could be used to repair human knee joints, scientists believe. Australian researchers have already repaired torn cartilage on the knees of 10 sheep with this natural glue, which frogs use to trap insects. They told New Scientist how it was far stronger than medical adhesives in current use. The University of Adelaide team, with colleagues in Melbourne, is attempting to make its own version. The glue is secreted by two species of burrowing Australian frogs of the Notaden genus that live one metre underground. These frogs only surface during torrential rain. At these times they are vulnerable to attack from insects. To protect themselves they secrete a glue that gums up the jaws of the biting insects and traps them to their skin, which they later eat. Environmental biologist Mike Tyler and his team tested the glue. "We assumed the substance would be toxic, but when we found it wasn't, it made sense to explore it as a medical adhesive." They found it hardened within seconds and stuck well, even in moist environments. When set, it was flexible and had a porous structure that should make it permeable to gas and nutrients, which would encourage healing. Mr Tyler teamed up with orthopaedic surgeon George Murrell of the University of New South Wales to test the glue in sheep with torn knee cartilage. This cartilage, also found in human joints, acts as a shock absorber. Knee cartilage can be damaged during sports and can be difficult to repair surgically. Current synthetic adhesives are strong but they are somewhat toxic and form rigid, non-porous films that can hinder wound healing. Biological glues tend to be too weak to fix parts of the body that have to withstand strong forces and wear and tear. However, the frog glue held the damaged cartilage together well in the sheep. The findings were presented at a combined biological societies meeting, ComBio 2004, in Perth. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #9 Well, if they showed up at the sports bar to protest, then you could just give the frogs a rest and have a PETA Person Toss... |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-10-09 7:23:49 PM |
| #8 Dave, PETA would have a fit! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2004-10-09 7:12:21 PM |
| #7 "Perhaps the next study should look at this as a bioengineering possibility." I see an immediate commercial application: sell the frogs, along with the aquaria to keep them in and a supply of food, to sports bars. They'd make a GREAT replacement for darts and dartboards-- paint a bullseye on the wall and you've got a Frog Toss. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-10-09 7:04:45 PM |
| #6 Thanks, Leigh. I've been out of the loop (even by proxy) for a very long time. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2004-10-09 6:35:38 PM |
| #5 (INRE #4) There goes my teensy-tiny milking stool business! |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-10-09 5:35:33 PM |
| #4 Protein science/biology has come a long way. Secreted animal protein products (like this glue are basically a folded linear string of amino acids that can be sequenced like DNA. Once the protein is unfolded, it is sequenced, and then DNA code necessary to produce the protein can be determined. With the DNA sequence, you can create the gene de-novo and splice the gene for the protein production into a bacteria or yeast that will then begin to secrete the "frog-glue". Once you have the bacteria/yeast, you just grow 'em in big fermenters/vats and separate out the glue from the liquid in the vat. Modern biochemistry ROCKS! Nobody is going to have to "milk frogs" for this glue. |
| Posted by: Leigh 2004-10-09 5:07:58 PM |
| #3 Frog's Glue? I thought that was the stuff Frenchmen put under their arms before going off to war to keep their arms in the air. |
| Posted by: Zpaz 2004-10-09 2:25:44 PM |
| #2 Fascinating. But, given the behaviour of the frogs in question, I imagine harvesting the secretions could be a bit problematical. Perhaps the next study should look at this as a bioengineering possibility. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2004-10-09 11:52:38 AM |
| #1 Okay. So when do you send granny to the glue factory? I figure August the market is way down, April perhaps? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-10-09 11:45:44 AM |