Hierarchically structured conductive hydrogels for electrically programmable drug delivery in a diabetic wound...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Bioelectronics

Background:

• Diabetic wound healing is challenging due to impaired healing processes.
• Current smart wound dressings often have limitations in drug loading and responsiveness to electrical stimulation (ES).
• Existing hydrogel-based electrodes struggle with efficient ES-controlled drug release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a hydrogel-based electronic wound dressing for programmable, ES-triggered drug delivery.
• To overcome limitations in drug loading efficiency and ES reactivity in current wound healing technologies.
• To create an advanced system for enhanced diabetic wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a conductive polymer hydrogel (PEDOT: CHC/silk) as an electroresponsive matrix and drug reservoir.
• High encapsulation efficiency (>90%) achieved for the hydrophobic drug ibuprofen.
• Optimization of ES parameters (voltage, frequency, waveform) for precise drug release control.
• Integration of the hydrogel into interdigitated electrode arrays for enhanced delivery.

Main Results:

• The developed hydrogel demonstrated high encapsulation efficiency, mechanical resilience, and electrochemical stability.
• Precise spatiotemporal modulation of drug release was achieved by optimizing ES parameters.
• Integration with interdigitated electrodes significantly improved drug delivery performance.
• The multifunctional patch showed intrinsic antibacterial activity and biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• A wearable, electroceutical wound dressing system was successfully developed.
• The system integrates wound protection, electrical treatment, and stimulus-sensitive drug delivery.
• This intelligent bioelectric approach shows significant promise for enhancing diabetic wound healing.