Graphene Oxide Loaded Hydrogel for Enhanced Wound Healing in Diabetic Patients

Chronic wound or slow healing of a wound is one of the serious complications in diabetic patients. The decrease in the proliferation and migration of cells such as keratinocytes and fibroblasts is the major reason for the development of such chronic wounds in a diabetic patient. Therefore, designing a wound dressing patch using a biodegradable hydrogel, which can provide a sustained release/delivery of active agents that can support cell proliferation and cell migration, will be highly beneficial for promoting diabetic wound healing. Multiple evidences from both in-vitro and in-vivo studies have shown that graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide promote wound healing by promoting migration and proliferation of keratinocyte cells. In addition, GO possesses angiogenic property. Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) based hydrogels display excellent hydrophilic properties due to the presence of hydrophilic amino, amido, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups in the polymer chains, which gives them highly porous, soft and flexible structure. In this work, we report the development of hydrogel dressing incorporated with GO to improve wound healing by increasing the proliferation and migration of cells.