Traumagel: A plant-based, hemostatic gel that can temporarily stop life-threatening bleeding
17 Sept, 20263 minutes
In the US, traumatic injury is the leading cause of death in children and adults under 45, and as many as 31,000 people bleed to death from injuries that they could’ve survived.
Heavy or lethal bleeding, whether it’s from a fall, road traffic accident or mass casualty event, is a critical emergency. Even when traditional methods like gauze and tourniquets are applied to slow the bleed, fatalities can occur within minutes – especially if the patient is miles from hospital and cannot access a blood transfusion.
Below we’ve spotlighted a fascinating innovation that’s set a new standard in trauma care. Medical device company Cresilon has developed a breakthrough gel that can be used to stop heavy bleeding and significantly improve a person’s odds of survival. It is a hemostatic, plant-based product that is administered directly into wounds, creating a seal.
Having been cleared by the FDA in 2024 and launched in 2025, it is slowly becoming more widespread across the states and saving lives in first responder and emergency settings.
An ingenious development in trauma care
Cresilon’s Traumagel, which looks like a thick, tan-colored paste, is administered into open wounds to stop heavy and even life-threatening bleeding. Applied within seconds from a sterile, pre-mixed syringe directly into the wound site, the gel effectively plugs the wound, allowing the body to form a clot without any additional pressure.
The plant-based gel is made up of water and plant (algae and fungi-derived) polysaccharides, which provides enough rigidity and structure to form a mechanical barrier. Once administered, the product can also be easily removed in a hospital setting without risk of re-opening the wound or damaging the clot.
It serves as a quick and reliable blood stopper for severe or lethal wounds that can be applied by first responders, increasing survival odds before patients reach the hospital.
From science fair project to medical marvel
As a teenager, Cresilon’s CEO, Joe Landolina, started collecting and experimenting with natural materials found in outdoor ponds. When he noticed a material that would stick to his skin, he realized its potential for controlling bleeding and entered into a science competition with his business-major friend Isaac Miller.
After pitching the plant-based gel that Landolina had developed, they won first prize. The project kicked off the launch of Cresilon in 2010, with Landolina and Miller becoming co-founders at the early ages of 17 and 20.
More than a decade on from their founding, Traumagel is now available nationwide in the United States and is being manufactured in Cresilon’s state-of-the-art facility in Brooklyn, New York where 10,000 units are produced monthly.
More on Cresilon
Cresilon is a Brooklyn-based medical device and biotechnology company with one shared mission of saving lives. Having revolutionized the current stand of treatment for stopping bleeding, the company was selected as a winner of the 2025 EMS World Innovation Awards for TRAUMAGEL’s ability to mold to the shape of any wound and conform to a wide range of injuries.
Cresilon was also named one of the world’s most innovative companies of 2026 by Fast Company – an impressive honor that showcases both their hard work and the brilliance of their invention.
Looking to the future, the company aims to expand the use of Traumagel to military settings, using it as an emergency treatment for gunshot wounds and other life-threatening injuries.
