New injectable chitosan-hyaluronic acid based hydrogels for hemostasis and wound healing

It is a challenge to develop hemostatic and wound dressings that are used for irregular shape and deep wound. Herein, a series of novel N-succinyl chitosan-oxidized hyaluronic acid based (NSC-OHA-based) hydrogels were fabricated, while calcium ions (Ca²⁺) and/or four-armed amine-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (4-arm-PEG-NH₂, labeled as PEG1) were introduced to regulate the mechanical behavior and bioactivities. We found all NSC-OHA-based hydrogels displayed self-healing and injectable performances. Besides, the addition of Ca²⁺ or PEG1 exhibited a positive effect on the adjustable mechanical behavior of hydrogels, providing the possibility to meet different mechanical requirements. Furthermore, Ca²⁺ or PEG1 significantly improved the biocompatibility, hemostasis and wound healing abilities of NSC-OHA hydrogel. Notably, compared with the commercial hemostatic agent (Arista™), hydrogels containing Ca²⁺ showed comparable hemostatic effects and significantly accelerated wound healing. Overall, the calcium-containing NSC-OHA hydrogels are promising for hemostasis and accelerating wound healing.