Multifunctional Hydrogel Enhances Inflammatory Control, Antimicrobial Activity, and Oxygenation to Promote Healing in...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing Research
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Chronic infected wounds exhibit impaired healing due to persistent reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation.
• Developing advanced wound dressings is crucial for addressing the challenges of non-healing wounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer an ROS-responsive injectable hydrogel for enhanced chronic infected wound healing.
• To investigate the therapeutic effects of a composite hydrogel incorporating antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and pro-angiogenic agents.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an injectable hydrogel from ε-polylysine grafted with caffeic acid (CA) and hyaluronic acid grafted with phenylboronic acid (PBA).
• Incorporation of a calcium peroxide (CaO2) and curcumin (Cur) mixture coated with polydopamine (PDA) (CCP) into the hydrogel matrix.
• In vivo assessment of the hydrogel's efficacy in promoting the repair of diabetic skin wounds infected with Staphylococcus aureus.

Main Results:

• The developed hydrogel demonstrated ROS-responsive dissociation in chronic wound environments.
• Released CA exhibited antibacterial activity and modulated macrophage polarization, while HA mimicked the extracellular matrix.
• The embedded CCP released curcumin, promoting angiogenesis and accelerating wound closure.
• Significant acceleration in the repair of diabetic skin wounds infected with Staphylococcus aureus was observed.

Conclusions:

• The multifunctional hydrogel effectively addresses key barriers to chronic wound healing, including bacterial infection, ROS, and inflammation.
• This innovative dressing shows significant promise for treating chronic refractory wounds, particularly diabetic skin infections.