5-hydroxymethylfurfural-embedded poly (vinyl alcohol)/sodium alginate hybrid hydrogels accelerate wound healing

Treating large acute or chronic wounds remains a challenging task because of a lack of effective methods to accelerate wound healing. Though growth factor-based wound products are found to be effective, they are costly and are potentially associated with increased cancer mortality. Effective, safe, and affordable strategies to tackle large or chronic wounds need to further be designed and developed. Here, we designed a new antioxidant-embedded hydrogel system for speeding up the wound healing process. We prepared multifunctional poly (vinyl alcohol)/sodium alginate (PVA/SA) hydrogels with the incorporation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), and investigated their physiochemical and biological properties in vitro and in vivo. PVA, SA, 5-HMF, and Ag-NPs were employed for good mechanical properties, good biocompatibility, anti-inflammation, and anti-bacterial activity, respectively. 5-HMF is commonly found in many food products (e.g. honey, coffee, and black garlic) and is known as an antioxidant. In our in vitro study, 5-HMF was found to effectively facilitate the proliferation and migration of human skin fibroblasts (HSF), and collagen production. Besides, 5-HMF-embedded PVA/SA hybrid hydrogels supported controlled release and good cell compatibility, and more importantly accelerated wound healing in vivo through ameliorated inflammation, enhanced angiogenesis/vascularization, increased collagen production, and promoted re-epithelialization.