Self-Gelling Powder Integrated with Multienzyme-Like Nanozyme for the Management of Infected Diabetic Wounds

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Diabetic wound repair is complicated by bacterial infection, poor vascularization, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), and persistent inflammation.
• Current treatments often struggle to address these multifaceted challenges simultaneously.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an in-situ sprayed self-gelling powder system (Vc-Cu@CP) for enhanced infected diabetic wound healing.
• To investigate the antibacterial, ROS-scavenging, and pro-regenerative properties of the Vc-Cu@CP system.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a self-gelling powder system (Vc-Cu@CP) combining carboxymethylcellulose sodium/ε-polylysine hydrogel (CP) with L-Ascorbic acid-stabilized copper nanozymes (Vc-Cu).
• In vitro and in vivo assessments of exudate absorption, antibacterial activity via chemodynamic therapy, ROS scavenging (SOD/CAT-mimic activity), and wound healing efficacy.
• RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying wound regeneration and inflammation modulation.

Main Results:

• The Vc-Cu@CP powder rapidly absorbed exudate and formed a protective hydrogel barrier in situ.
• Vc-Cu nanozymes exhibited POD-mimic activity in acidic environments to kill bacteria and SOD/CAT-mimic activity to scavenge ROS and provide oxygen in chronic wound conditions.
• RNA-seq revealed that Vc-Cu@CP upregulated wound healing genes and downregulated inflammation/immune response pathways, promoting collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and epithelial regeneration.

Conclusions:

• The Vc-Cu@CP self-gelling powder system demonstrates significant potential for managing complex infected diabetic wounds.
• This multifunctional system offers a promising therapeutic strategy by addressing key pathological factors and promoting accelerated wound healing.