Self-Powered Thermoelectric Hydrogels Accelerate Wound Healing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Electrical stimulation (ES) accelerates wound healing by regulating cell proliferation and migration.
• Thermoelectric materials generate electricity from temperature differences, offering self-powered ES for therapies.
• Existing wound healing methods lack efficient, self-powered stimulation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel thermoelectric hydrogels for self-powered electrical stimulation (ES) in wound repair.
• To investigate the mechanisms by which these hydrogels enhance wound healing in vitro and in vivo.
• To assess the potential of these advanced wound dressings in tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of silver selenide@gelatin methacrylate (Ag₂Se@GelMA) thermoelectric hydrogels.
• Evaluation of thermoelectric performance at room temperature.
• In vivo and in vitro studies to assess wound closure, cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis.
• Investigation of intracellular signaling pathways, including calcium ion channels and mitochondrial function.

Main Results:

• Ag₂Se@GelMA hydrogels exhibited high room-temperature thermoelectric performance.
• The hydrogels significantly accelerated wound closure by amplifying the endogenous electric field.
• ES activated voltage-gated calcium ion channels, increasing intracellular Ca²⁺ and enhancing mitochondrial function via the Ca²⁺/CaMKKβ/AMPK/Nrf2 pathway.
• Enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis were observed, leading to accelerated tissue regeneration.

Conclusions:

• Ag₂Se@GelMA thermoelectric hydrogels serve as effective self-powered ES devices for wound repair.
• The study elucidates the biological mechanisms of ES-enhanced wound healing, involving calcium signaling and mitochondrial optimization.
• These advanced hydrogels represent significant progress in wound dressing technology for regenerative medicine.