Tunable physio-adhesive gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan based hydrogel for hemostatic and accelerated wound healing
Manqi Yan1, Menglu Huang1, Xinyin Cao1
1College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China.
Abstract:
Strongly adhesive hydrogels show great promise for wound management yet frequently induce secondary tissue damage during dressing removal. To overcome this limitation, we designed a cationic hydrogel dressing with self-regulating adhesion using gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan and MPTAC through UV-initiated crosslinking. The hydrogel achieved robust initial adhesion (8.39 ± 0.59 kPa) via electrostatic interactions with negatively charged skin surfaces, which progressively decreased to 2.21 ± 0.36 kPa over 7 days, enabling painless detachment. The material demonstrated a compressive strength exceeding 70 kPa, effective fluid absorption capacity, and potent antibacterial activity (>99 % against S. aureus). It significantly accelerated hemostasis, reducing clotting time to 62.96 ± 3.95 s, and promoted wound healing in a full-thickness defect model, achieving 62 % wound closure within 7 days. These findings highlight the translational potential of this smart hydrogel as a next-generation wound dressing that combines secure wound protection with on-demand, trauma-free removal.
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