Surgical stitches with anti-inflammatory medications?

Photo by Benis Arapovic via Vecteezy

Researchers in Arkansas are developing experimental surgical sutures that slowly release anti-inflammatory drugs at the wound site, aiming to curb local inflammation, reduce scarring, and potentially improve outcomes of delicate procedures.

Working in the laboratory of chemist Sharon K. Hamilton, PhD, at Ouachita Baptist University, undergraduate researcher Mieya Kirby has focused on electrospun polymers, which can be drawn under high voltage into nanofibres and formed into dissolvable stitches that support tissue regeneration. The team’s work, presented at the ACS Spring 2026 meeting in Atlanta, builds on existing use of polydioxanone, a polymer already employed in absorbable sutures that maintains tensile strength for weeks before degrading into biomolecules cleared by the body.

Traditional approaches have relied on dipping polydioxanone sutures into solutions of anti-inflammatory agents such as ibuprofen, a strategy that can lead to rapid drug release and weak binding between the drug and the polymer, raising concerns about suboptimal control of inflammation and potential interference with collagen synthesis during the critical two- to four-week window of wound healing. “New collagen is laid down between the two- and four-week mark,” Kirby said in a press release. “So, you need something that won’t be released immediately.”

To address this, the researchers have blended polydioxanone with another polymer capable of covalently binding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during electrospinning, creating fibres in which the drug is released gradually as the bonds break down. The group is testing different polymer combinations and tuning release kinetics, with the goal of eliminating the need for separate oral pain medications while limiting scarring and suture failure in high-risk anastomoses.

Future plans include scaling the material into sutures robust enough for surgical use and evaluating them in animal models to assess performance across wound types and patient conditions. The team is also exploring antibacterial and pro-regenerative additives, envisioning sutures that not only suppress inflammation but also support faster collagen rebuilding at the repair site.