An antibacterial and proangiogenic double-layer drug-loaded microneedle patch for accelerating diabetic wound healing

Diabetic wounds are difficult to heal because of bacterial infections and insufficient angiogenesis. Herein, we report a double-layer drug-loaded microneedle patch with antibacterial and angiogenesis-promoting properties for diabetic wound healing. The double-layer microneedle comprises the hyaluronic acid (HA)-loaded antibacterial drug tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) as the tip and a mixture of chitosan and silk fibroin containing the angiogenic drug deferoxamine (DFO) as the substrate. In the double-layer drug-loaded microneedle system (DMN@TCH/DFO), rapid dissolution of HA at the tip releases TCH to promote early antibacterial activity. The substrate exhibits excellent swelling properties, facilitating the absorption of tissue fluid from the wound to promote wound contraction. Simultaneously, DFO is released to promote angiogenesis. Therefore, DMN@TCH/DFO exhibited adequate mechanical properties, excellent swelling and biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and angiogenesis-promoting capabilities. In a wound model of diabetic rats, DMN@TCH/DFO reduced inflammatory responses, promoted angiogenesis, and facilitated collagen deposition, thereby accelerating diabetic wound healing. Overall, DMN@TCH/DFO can accelerate the healing of diabetic wounds and has clinical application prospects.