Feather-inspired janus interfaces with spatiotemporal ionic programming for diabetic wound infection control and...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Wound Healing

Background:

• Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) present significant challenges due to infection risk and complex microenvironments.
• Current treatments often fall short, necessitating advanced wound care solutions.
• A dual-action dressing combining physical protection and biological intervention is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a hierarchically engineered Janus dressing for treating recalcitrant wounds.
• To investigate the dressing's ability to provide a physical barrier and controlled release of therapeutic ions.
• To evaluate the dressing's efficacy in promoting wound healing in a diabetic infected wound model.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning was used to create a Janus dressing (PPT@PG-BG) with distinct hydrophobic and hydrophilic layers.
• The dressing integrates therapeutic ions (Mg2+, Zn2+, Ce3+) for spatiotemporal release.
• The dressing's effects on immune-angiogenic homeostasis, antioxidant pathways, macrophage polarization, and neovascularization were assessed.

Main Results:

• The Janus dressing achieved 97.85% wound closure in a diabetic infected wound model.
• It effectively activated the p-ERK/Nrf2 antioxidant pathway and promoted M2 macrophage polarization.
• Enhanced neovascularization and re-established immune-angiogenic homeostasis were observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed Janus dressing offers a promising strategy for treating complex, hard-to-heal wounds.
• Its combination of physical protection and multi-ion synergistic biotherapy accelerates wound healing.
• This approach has significant potential for clinical translation and improving patient outcomes.