Effect of Silica Nanoparticle Treatment on Adhesion between Tissue-like Substrates and In Vivo Skin Wound Sealing

Silica nanoparticles are innovative solutions of surgical glue that can readily adhere to various tissue-like substrates without the need for time-consuming chemical reactions or ultraviolet irradiation. Herein, 10 nm-sized silica nanoparticle (SiNP₁₀) treatment exhibited maximum adhesion strength in the porcine heart tissue model, which was approximately 7.15 times higher than that of the control group of non-treatment. We assessed the effects of silica nanoparticle treatment on in vivo skin wounds by scoring tissue adhesion and inflammation using histological images. Compared to the commercial cyanoacrylate skin adhesive (Dermabond), suppression of inflammatory cytokine levels in the incision wound skin was observed. We further quantified the expression of angiogenic growth factors and connective tissue formation-related proteins. On day 5 after wound closing treatment, the expression levels of PDGF-BB growth factor were significantly higher in SiNP₁₀ treatment (0.64 ± 0.03) compared to Dermabond (0.07 ± 0.05). This stimulated angiogenesis and connective tissue formation in the skin of the incision wound may be associated with the promoting effects of SiNP₁₀ treatment on wound closure and tissue adhesion.