Carboxymethyl cellulose-enhanced recombinant human collagen hydrogel promotes hemostasis and wound healing

This study integrates the beneficial properties of recombinant human collagen and carboxymethyl cellulose to synthesize a dual-network hydrogel designed to enhance liver hemostasis and facilitate wound healing. The materials were chemically modified to exhibit photo-curing characteristics, and a range of composite hydrogels were fabricated by varying the concentration ratios of the constituents. Mechanical testing revealed that the incorporation of carboxymethyl cellulose not only expedited the gelation time of collagen but also augmented its mechanical strength. Cellular assays demonstrated that the dual-network hydrogel possesses excellent biocompatibility, supports prolonged in vitro stem cell culture, and promotes fibroblast migration as well as endothelial cell tube formation. Both in vivo and in vitro experimental results substantiated that the dual-network hydrogels exhibit superior hemostatic efficacy, with minor variations in hemostatic performance observed across different hydrogel formulations. Application of the dual-network hydrogel to murine burn wounds resulted in enhanced wound healing, as evidenced by macroscopic and histological analyses, which indicated accelerated healing rates and improved tissue regeneration quality.