Porous chitin powder decorated with ZIF-8-derived nanozyme for diabetic infected wound healing

Due to the hyperglycemic environment, diabetic wounds are highly susceptible to bacterial infections, facilitating their progression to chronic, non-healing wounds. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop wound dressings capable of reducing wound glucose levels and exerting strong antibacterial activities. In this study, a ZIF-8/Au-GOx (ZAG) nanozyme was grown in situ on fluffy chitin (FC) powder by integrating zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), glucose oxidase (GOx), and Au nanoparticles, leading to the development of a multifunctional wound dressing (FC/ZAG) for diabetic wound therapy. Benefiting from the cascade catalytic effect of the loaded ZAG nanozyme, FC/ZAG demonstrated a remarkable hypoglycemic activity and potent antibacterial properties. Additionally, owing to the biocompatibility of FC and the sustained release of Zn²⁺, the FC/ZAG powder exhibited a superior safety profile. In experiments in a mouse model of diabetic wound healing, FC/ZAG exerted significant anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic effects, accelerating the healing process of diabetic wounds. These findings highlight the high potential of FC/ZAG as a promising candidate for the development of advanced diabetic wound dressings.