Thymol-loaded methacrylated gelatin-based electrospun nanofibrous dressing for MRSA-infected wound treatment

Clinical abuse of antibiotics has exacerbated the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in trauma therapy. Infections caused by these bacteria intensifies wound inflammation, hinders wound healing, and may even trigger severe complications. In this study, we developed a methacrylated gelatin-based electrospun dressing loaded with thymol and used ultraviolet-light-initiated photocrosslinking to enhance the structural integrity of the dressing. The obtained dressing exhibited a porous structure, breathability, good water absorption and appropriate degradation properties. The incorporation of thymol not only endows the wound dressing with antioxidant properties, but also enhances its antibacterial activity. Cytotoxicity and hemolysis tests demonstrated the good biocompatibility of the dressing. Furthermore, we evaluated the hemostatic, antibacterial and wound healing properties of the novel wound dressing in animal hemorrhage models, rat skin infection wound models and RNA sequence. The experiment of wound healing infected with MRSA showed that the healing rate of the GelMA-TH-2 group was over 50 % at day 3 and reached 75 % at day 7. This novel dressing provides a promising strategy for the current overuse of antibiotics and the treatment of MRSA-infected wounds.