Anti-Swelling, Robust, and Adhesive Extracellular Matrix-Mimicking Hydrogel Used as Intraoral Dressing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Oral Surgery

Background:

• The oral cavity's wet and dynamic environment poses challenges for intraoral wound healing.
• Current treatments like gauzes and sutures fail to provide continuous isolation and optimal healing conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, stable, and firm wound dressing for intraoral wound repair.
• To create a bioinspired hydrogel mimicking the natural extracellular matrix for enhanced wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a composite hydrogel by infiltrating a long-chain hydrogel into a macromolecular meshwork.
• In situ crosslinking to achieve controllable swelling and robust mechanical properties.
• In vitro testing for protection against oral irritations and in vivo evaluation on a canine tooth extraction model.

Main Results:

• The composite hydrogel demonstrated controllable swelling and strong mechanical properties, acting as a durable barrier.
• In vitro tests confirmed effective protection against complex intraoral irritations.
• In vivo application on canine models showed accelerated wound healing and reduced acute inflammation.

Conclusions:

• The developed bioinspired hydrogel family exhibits great potential as an advanced intraoral wound dressing.
• The material's unique structure provides durable protection and promotes faster healing in extraction wounds.
• This biomimetic approach offers a promising solution for improving intraoral wound management.