Injectable hydrogel based on the furoic acid-modified chitosan for accelerating wound healing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Advanced wound dressings are crucial for effective tissue repair.
• Chitosan-based materials offer biocompatibility and biodegradability for wound healing applications.
• Developing injectable hydrogels can improve drug delivery and wound coverage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel injectable hydrogel, FUA-CS^gel, for accelerated wound healing.
• To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo performance of FUA-CS^gel in promoting wound repair.
• To compare the efficacy of FUA-CS^gel with traditional wound dressings.

Main Methods:

• Furoic acid-modified chitosan (FUA-CS) was synthesized via amidation.
• FUA-CS polymers were crosslinked with 4-arm PEG-Mal at 37°C to form hydrogels via Diels-Alder reactions.
• In vitro cell assays and in vivo wound repair studies were conducted.

Main Results:

• The FUA-CS^gel exhibited low cytotoxicity, high swelling, and excellent rheological properties.
• In vitro studies showed enhanced cell proliferation and migration with FUA-CS^gel.
• In vivo studies demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, stimulated angiogenesis, and collagen deposition, accelerating wound healing.

Conclusions:

• FUA-CS^gel is a promising injectable hydrogel for wound healing applications.
• The hydrogel offers improved gas permeability, moisture retention, and biocompatibility over traditional dressings.
• FUA-CS^gel represents a novel solution for advanced wound care therapies.