Self-Healing Dynamic Hydrogel Microparticles with Structural Color for Wound Management

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Wound Healing Technologies

Background:

• Chronic diabetic wounds pose a significant clinical challenge due to their high prevalence and poor healing outcomes.
• Developing advanced wound dressings with enhanced flexibility and multifunctionality is crucial for effective management.
• Current treatments often lack sophisticated mechanisms for controlled drug delivery and real-time monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel self-healing hydrogel dressing for chronic diabetic wound management.
• To engineer structural color microspheres with integrated photothermal responsiveness and controlled drug release capabilities.
• To investigate the potential of these microspheres for visual monitoring of drug release and therapeutic efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of photothermal-responsive inverse opal framework microspheres using hyaluronic acid methacryloyl, silk fibroin methacryloyl, and black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs).
• Incorporation of a dynamic hydrogel filler formed via Knoevenagel condensation between functionalized dextrans (DEX-CA and DEX-BA).
• Co-loading of eumenitin and vascular endothelial growth factor within the microspheres for sustained release.

Main Results:

• The composite microspheres exhibited self-healing and adhesive properties upon near-infrared irradiation, driven by BPQDs photothermal effect and hydrogel thermoreversible changes.
• Controllable release of co-loaded therapeutic agents (eumenitin and vascular endothelial growth factor) was achieved via the same near-infrared triggered mechanism.
• Visual color variations in the microspheres allowed for effective monitoring of the drug release process.

Conclusions:

• The developed self-healing hydrogel microsphere system demonstrates significant potential for advanced wound management, particularly for chronic diabetic wounds.
• The integrated functionalities, including controllable drug release and visual monitoring, offer a promising platform for clinical applications.
• This innovative approach addresses key limitations of current wound dressings, paving the way for improved therapeutic outcomes.