Novel Magnesium- and Silver-Loaded Dressing Promotes Tissue Regeneration in Cutaneous Wounds

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing Research
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Wound healing involves complex cellular and mediator interactions.
• Magnesium (Mg) is vital for cell stabilization and has shown potential in promoting angiogenesis.
• The role of Mg in wound healing and its application in dressings remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of Magnesium (Mg) and Magnesium-Silver (Mg-Ag) based dressings in promoting wound healing.
• To assess the material properties, release kinetics, and biocompatibility of the fabricated Mg-based dressings.
• To evaluate the combined effect of Mg and Ag on wound repair, including antibacterial activity and cellular responses.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Mg- and Mg-Ag-based polyethylene wound dressings.
• In vitro assessment of Mg and Ag release, cellular compatibility, and antibacterial activity.
• In vitro evaluation of fibroblast migration and in vivo studies on acute and chronic wound models to assess healing efficacy.

Main Results:

• Mg and Ag were stably incorporated and released from the dressings in a moist environment.
• The Mg-based dressing exhibited good cellular compatibility with no harmful extractables.
• Mg enhanced the antibacterial properties of Ag, and the Mg-Ag dressing promoted wound repair by increasing neovascularization and basal cell proliferation.

Conclusions:

• A Mg-Ag-based coating can be effectively manufactured as a wound dressing material.
• The developed Mg-Ag dressing demonstrates significant potential for improving acute and chronic wound healing.
• This Mg-Ag coating represents an optimal material for adjuvant wound therapy.