Trilayered Self-Pumping Dressing with Micropore Array for Drug Backflow Release in Diabetic Wound Healing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing Research
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Excessive chronic wound exudate poses risks like infection and inflammation.
• Existing dressings lack integrated humidity control and on-demand therapeutic release.
• Need for advanced wound care solutions to optimize healing environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a self-pumping, trilayered wound dressing (GCSIP) for autonomous exudate management and on-demand drug delivery.
• To integrate polyhexamethylene guanidine-grafted triglycidyl glycerol ether (PHMG-GTE)-modified cotton, ibuprofen-loaded silk fibroin (IBU/SF), and polyurethane (PU).
• To establish a controlled reflux mechanism for efficient fluid transport and therapeutic release.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a trilayered dressing with a microporous array for optimized fluid transport.
• Incorporation of PHMG-GTE for antibacterial properties and IBU/SF for anti-inflammatory release.
• In vitro assessment of drug release kinetics and anti-inflammatory effects on M1 macrophages.
• In vivo evaluation of biocompatibility and wound healing efficacy.

Main Results:

• The GCSIP dressing demonstrated autonomous, unidirectional fluid transport and controlled ibuprofen release (87.6% in 72h).
• Released components significantly reduced TNF-α (90.4%) and IL-6 (87.6%) expression in macrophages.
• In vivo studies showed excellent biocompatibility and accelerated wound healing, with only 0.8% residual wound area after 15 days.

Conclusions:

• The developed GCSIP dressing effectively regulates exudate and provides on-demand anti-inflammatory treatment.
• This multifunctional dressing accelerates chronic wound healing through optimized exudate management and targeted drug delivery.
• The study presents a promising strategy for advanced wound care technologies.