Bioinspired Supramolecular Dressing of Adaptable Programmability and Multifunctionality for Wound Healing

As the largest organ in the human body, the skin plays a crucial role in protecting tissues from external threats. Damage in the skin can not only lead to bleeding and increase the risk of infection and inflammation but also result in tissue necrosis and scar formations. Therefore, wound dressings of high efficiency and intrinsic biocompatibility are essential for defending the wound sites and promoting healing. However, the state-of-the-art wound dressings have intrinsic shortcomings in curing, which would exudate due to limited water absorption capacity and the adhesion side effect, which may cause secondary damages. There remains a gap in the availability of wound dressings that simultaneously integrate antibacterial, self-healing, biodegradable, and temperature-sensitive properties. Herein, a bioinspired supramolecular hydrogel-based wound dressing composed of a KYD (KYDYKYDYKK) self-assembly peptide-agar double-network is developed with the assistance of 3D printing. The reversible self-assembling dynamics of the KYD along with the existence of lysine residues endow the double-networks with the ability of self-healing and antibacterial properties, while the introduction of agar allows the bioinspired system to be temperature sensitive. In addition, the grid size of the bioinspired dressing is light-stimulated and adaptable, allowing for real-time control of air permeability. Combined with intrinsic biodegradability, the multifunctional supramolecular wound dressing enables sustainable drug releases. Consequently, the programmability of strength, flexibility, and performances in this design ensures customizability in a variety of wound conditions of the bioinspired supramolecular wound dressing, thus showing promising potential in enhancing clinical wound management and improving patient lifecare.