KAIST's AGCL Powder: A Spray That Stops Severe Bleeding in One Second and Could Transform Emergency Medicine

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea, including an active-duty Army Major who participated directly in the study, have developed a powder-type haemostatic agent that can stop severe bleeding by sealing wounds within approximately one second of application. The research was published in Advanced Functional Materials on October 28, 2025 and announced publicly by KAIST on December 29, 2025.

The compound, named AGCL Powder, was designed specifically with real combat conditions in mind. Severe bleeding remains the leading cause of preventable death in combat injuries and is equally critical in civilian trauma settings including road accidents, industrial injuries, natural disasters, and surgical emergencies. Uncontrolled bleeding kills more than 1.8 million people globally each year.

AGCL Powder is composed entirely of naturally derived biocompatible materials. The three components are alginate, extracted from brown seaweed; gellan gum, a natural thickener produced through bacterial fermentation; and chitosan, derived from the exoskeletons of crustaceans and insects. When sprayed onto a wound, the alginate and gellan gum react instantly with calcium ions in blood, cross-linking within one second to form a resilient hydrogel that physically seals the wound opening. The chitosan simultaneously attracts red blood cells and platelets, causing them to clump together and reinforcing the physical seal. The powder can absorb more than seven times its own weight in blood, equivalent to 725 percent absorption capacity.

The adhesive strength of the resulting gel exceeds 40 kPa, sufficient to withstand strong manual pressure, and the antibacterial effect of chitosan is 99.9 percent effective. In animal experiments involving surgical liver injury, AGCL Powder significantly reduced both the volume of blood lost and the time to haemostasis compared to commercially available haemostatic agents. Liver function returned to normal within two weeks and no abnormal findings were observed in systemic toxicity evaluations.

The storage stability of the powder is a critical practical advantage. AGCL Powder maintains its full performance for two years at room temperature even in high-humidity environments, unlike patch-type haemostatic agents which are temperature-sensitive and structurally limited to flat wound surfaces. The sprayed powder can penetrate and fill wound cavities of any depth and geometry, including gunshot wounds, shrapnel injuries, and crush injuries where gauze and pressure dressings are ineffective.

From a regulatory and clinical translation perspective, AGCL Powder remains in the research and development phase. It has not yet entered clinical trials and has not received regulatory approval for human use. The natural origin of all three components and the absence of observed toxicity in animal studies provide a favourable preclinical safety profile that should support regulatory progression. For clinical researchers and emergency medicine professionals, AGCL Powder addresses multiple simultaneous gaps in the current trauma care toolkit.

Sources: Advanced Functional Materials (October 28, 2025, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202523910) | KAIST Official Announcement December 29, 2025 | SciTechDaily | Interesting Engineering | MedicalXpress