KAIST AGCL Powder Achieves One-Second Gelation and 40 kPa Adhesion in Liver Injury Models

Professors Steve Park and Sangyong Jon at KAIST, collaborating with an Army Major, formulated AGCL powder from alginate, gellan gum, and chitosan. The material exploits ionic cross-linking with calcium ions in blood to achieve ultra-fast gelation. In surgical liver injury experiments on animals, it reduced blood loss and hemostasis time versus commercial agents while showing hemolysis below 3%, 99% cell viability, and 99.9% antibacterial activity. The powder's three-dimensional structure and room-temperature stability for two years address limitations of patch-type products that fail on irregular wounds and degrade in heat or humidity. Unlike most hemostatic powders that rely solely on absorption, AGCL adds chemical bonding via chitosan, yielding adhesive strength above 40 kPa. This design directly targets combat conditions where excessive bleeding remains the leading cause of death. A key limitation is reliance on animal data without reported human trials or long-term immune response metrics. Randomized controlled trials in humans with standardized bleeding scores and 90-day follow-up would strengthen evidence for regulatory approval and civilian translation.