Dextran-based thermosensitive hydrogel with photothermal enhanced antibacterial property for wound healing

The thermosensitive and antibacterial hydrogels demonstrate considerable promise in wound healing applications. This study developed a thermosensitive P(NIPAM₃₃₅-co-hydrazide₅₀)/oxidized dextran (PNH/ODex) hydrogel and the MXene nanosheets were composite to endow with NIR stimulated photothermal property. Furthermore, the hemostatic drug tranexamic acid (TXA) was loaded to fabricate the multifunctional MXene@TXA/hydrogel for hemostasis and wound repairing applications. The hydrogel preserved good biocompatibility and showed good tissue adhesion property for enhanced hemostasis. The photothermal effect of MXene generated high temperature under NIR triggers and endowed the MXene@TXA/hydrogel with antimicrobial property against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The in vivo wound repairing experiments demonstrated that the MXene@TXA/hydrogel promoted wound repairing and reduced scarring through inhibition of inflammatory response with periodical NIR irradiation. In conclusion, the thermosensitive MXene@TXA/hydrogel developed in this research shows good potential as an antimicrobial wound dressing in clinic.