Microfluidic-engineered Chinese herbal nanocomposite hydrogel microspheres for diabetic wound tissue regeneration

Microfluidic-engineered hydrogel microspheres have emerged as a promising avenue for advancements in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, particularly through the precise manipulation of fluids to achieve personalized composite biomaterials. In this study, we employed microfluidic technology to fabricate hydrogel microspheres (HMs) using Chinese herbal Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) as the primary material. Concurrently, the natural active ingredient 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) was encapsulated within the HMs in the form of liposomes (PPD-Lipo), resulting in the formation of nanocomposite hydrogel microspheres (PPD-Lipo@HMs) intended for diabetic wound tissue repair. PPD-Lipo@HMs are characterized by the expansive specific surface area, adjustable mechanical properties, and exceptional biocompatibility. PPD-Lipo@HMs can stimulate the production of vascular endothelial factors, which in turn enhances the migration of endothelial cells, the creation of tubes, angiogenesis, and tissue repair. Moreover, the PPD-Lipo@HMs accumulation produces a microsphere scaffold that effectively covers damaged tissues, promoting the attachment, spread, and multiplication of fibroblast and endothelial cells. The polysaccharide material BSP within PPD-Lipo@HMs can modulate the immune microenvironment of the damaged tissue, reducing inflammation, encouraging re-epithelialization and granulation tissue formation, accelerating angiogenesis and collagen deposition, ultimately leading to tissue repair. The findings highlight the superior therapeutic efficacy of the microfluidic-engineered PPD-Lipo@HMs in addressing the complex challenges of diabetic wound tissue repair, thereby affirming the significant potential of microfluidic engineering technology in tissue repair applications.