Aldehyde-mediated adaptive membranes with self-healing and antimicrobial properties for endometrial repair

Traditional treatment methods for irreversible endometrial damage face a number of challenges in clinical practice, the most important of which are bacterial infection and the inability to restore endometrial function. By modifying glucan, oxidized dextran (OD) with multifunctional aldehyde groups was obtained in this study. Based on the dynamic Schiff base reaction between gelatin (GA) and OD, a GA-OD adaptive membrane with good biocompatibility, self-healing, biodegradability, and antimicrobial properties was created. In vitro studies revealed that GA and OD cross-linking overcame GA's low gel temperature, accelerated gelling, and improved mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, and degradability. The dynamic bond formed by the reaction between GA and OD caused the GA-OD film to self-heal. Meanwhile, the GA-OD membrane had antibacterial properties. To assess the repair effect of GA-OD film, an in vivo rat endometrial injury model filled with GA-OD adaptive membrane was created. According to the results of the study, the GA-OD membrane was biocompatible, and the uterine tissue did not have edema and inflammation. Further study on the postoperative endometrial regeneration effect of GA-OD material showed that it had an excellent ability for epithelial reconstruction and cell proliferation. As a result, the use of GA-OD composite film in endometrial repair has promising therapeutic implications.