A starch-regulated adhesive hydrogel dressing with controllable separation properties for painless dressing change

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing Technologies
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Traditional hydrogel dressings cause pain and secondary damage upon removal due to poor adhesion control.
• There is a clinical need for advanced wound dressings with controlled adhesion and easy separation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel hydrogel dressing with controllable adhesion and separation properties.
• To evaluate the wound healing, antimicrobial, and mechanical properties of the developed hydrogel dressing.

Main Methods:

• A starch-regulated hydrogel was synthesized.
• Controllable separation was achieved via a polar small molecule dissociation competition mechanism.
• Adhesive strength, antimicrobial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans, swelling, mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and in vivo wound healing efficiency were assessed.

Main Results:

• The hydrogel dressing demonstrated controllable and rapid separation without causing skin damage.
• Adhesive strength reached 0.06 MPa and remained stable after repeated use.
• Over 99.9% inhibition rate was observed for E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans.
• High swelling properties, good mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and 95.01% wound healing efficiency in a rat model were achieved.

Conclusions:

• The developed hydrogel dressing offers a facile and effective solution for wound management with controllable separation.
• This novel dressing minimizes patient discomfort and secondary damage, showing significant promise for clinical applications.