Programmed temporal modulation by using a magnetoelectric wound dressing for ultra-fast early-stage wound healing

Temporal modulation based on phase transition rule of natural wound healing is of significant importance for high-performance tissue regeneration, thus avoiding potential risks from prolonged healing period. Unfortunately, most existing wound dressings cannot realize programmed temporal modulation, which greatly limits their further development in fast tissue regeneration. Here, we demonstrate a magnetoelectric wound dressing (MWD) that can achieve micro-ampere level & wireless electric output and programmed temporal modulation. The MWD is mainly composed of two parts: a multi-layered magnetoelectric dressing integrated with liquid metal (LM) coils and conductive interfaces, as well as a wearable 3D-printed accessory. In response to variable changes in magnetic flux from the outside accessory, input electricity from LM coil could be generated into wounded niche and adjusted to satisfy requirements of different biological stages. Experimental results indicated that low-level input facilitated macrophage M2 polarization during inflammatory phase, and high-level input activated behaviors of fibroblasts in proliferative stage, thus achieving an ultra-fast early-stage wound healing outcome. Overall, a promising concept is presented here to develop an intelligent wound caring system that can achieve on-demand temporal modulation for ultra-fast early-stage wound healing and thus avoid potential risks during prolonged healing process.