The objective of this project is to create a safe, efficacious surgical fibrin sealant from salmon plasma. Millions of large salmon are reared by the aqua-culture industry, and the plasma from these fish offers an innovative and alternative source of highly conserved clotting factors. A likely health advantage of the salmon material is safety from mammalian infectious agents.
Specific aims are; (1) to extract, purify, and evaluate in vitro, thrombin and fibrinogen from the plasma of framed salmon; (2) evaluate the possible risks of trans-species (salmon-human) infectious agents; (3) determine the immunogenic properties of the salmon material; and (4) test the salmon material in vivo in animal models. Salmon thrombin and fibrinogen will be purified, and tested in vitro at varying concentration and conditions. Lots (>1000 fish) of salmon plasma will be screened for salmon virus, and any virus found will e identified and tested for infectivity in human cell lines. Immunogenicity will be evaluated in both rats and rabbits. The in vivo efficacy of a salmon fibrin sealant and a commercial (human-derived"""""""" sealant will be compared in rat, dog, and swine models.
A fibrin sealant derived from salmon plasma could offer safety from mammalian infectious agents, and certain physical-chemical advantages over mammalian material. The U.S. market is over $400 million, in addition to military use.
