Drug-eluting rubber bands for tissue ligation Journal Article


Authors: Feiner, R.; Johns, E.; Antman-Passig, M.; Irie, T.; Berisha, N.; Oved, H.; Khan, D.; Witek, L.; White, R. M.; Heller, D. A.
Article Title: Drug-eluting rubber bands for tissue ligation
Abstract: Rubber band ligation is a commonly used method for the removal of tissue abnormalities. Most often, rubber band ligation is performed to remove internal hemorrhoids unresponsive to first line treatments to avoid surgery. While the procedure is considered safe, patients experience mild to significant pain and discomfort until the tissue sloughs off. As patients often require multiple bandings and sessions, reducing these side effects can have a considerable effect on patient adherence and quality of life. To reduce pain and discomfort, we developed drug-eluting rubber bands for ligation procedures. We investigated the potential for a band to elute anesthetics and drug combinations to durably manage pain for a period of up to 5 days while exhibiting similar mechanical properties to conventional rubber bands. We show that the rubber bands retain their mechanical properties despite significant drug loading. Lidocaine, released from the bands, successfully altered the calcium dynamics of cardiomyocytes in vitro and modulated heart rate in zebrafish embryos, while the bands exhibited lower cytotoxicity than conventional bands. Ex vivo studies demonstrated substantial local drug release in enteric tissues. These latex-free bands exhibited sufficient mechanical and drug-eluting properties to serve both ligation and local analgesic functions, potentially enabling pain reduction for multiple indications.
Keywords: pain management; drug delivery; drug release; controlled release; hemorrhoids; elastomer; rubber
Journal Title: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Volume: 14
Issue: 24
ISSN: 1944-8244
Publisher: American Chemical Society  
Date Published: 2022-06-22
Start Page: 27675
End Page: 27685
Language: English
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c06175
PUBMED: 35670525
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC10015968
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 1 July 2022 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Richard Mark White
    68 White
  2. Daniel Alan Heller
    112 Heller
  3. Takeshi Irie
    14 Irie
  4. Naxhije Berisha
    11 Berisha
  5. Eleanor May Johns
    6 Johns
  6. Ron Feiner
    3 Feiner