Slug-Inspired Glue Can Heal a Broken Heart

Heart surgeries may one day be less invasive and require less healing time with this bio-inspired glue. Image credit: fivepointsix/Shutterstock. When it comes to mending a broken heart, researchers say they may have found the key. And it comes in the form of a slug-inspired glue. Most heart defects today are fixed via surgeries that involve stitches or staples. But these sutures can do damage to the heart's fragile tissue, especially because the heart still has to stretch and strain to pump blood as it heals. And while surgical glues do exist, they are meant to close up skin wounds---some are toxic while others simply can't stick to a wet, beating heart.