Honeycomb Injectable Antimicrobial Gelatin-Based Hydrogel with Enhanced Photothermal Effect via Photoinitiated...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Injectable hydrogels are crucial for wound antimicrobial treatment in trauma care.
• Controlling hydrogel effects at the target site presents a significant challenge.
• Existing treatments lack precise control and rapid efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an injectable, rapidly moldable, and biocompatible hydrogel for enhanced wound antimicrobial treatment.
• To investigate the hydrogel's properties, including adhesion, mechanical strength, and structural features.
• To evaluate the hydrogel's efficacy in rapid wound sterilization via photothermal conversion.

Main Methods:

• Development of a gelatin-based hydrogel injectable formulation.
• Rapid in-situ molding of the hydrogel using blue light irradiation (10 seconds).
• Incorporation of nanoparticles for enhanced photothermal conversion and assessment of structural (honeycomb) and mechanical properties.

Main Results:

• The developed hydrogel demonstrated rapid molding (<10 s) under blue light, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility, adhesion, and mechanical properties.
• Its unique honeycomb structure efficiently absorbed wound exudate.
• Uniformly dispersed nanoparticles facilitated rapid photothermal sterilization (5 minutes), effectively reducing bacterial load.

Conclusions:

• The injectable, light-activated hydrogel shows significant potential for wound antimicrobial treatment.
• Its rapid action and tailored properties address key challenges in current wound care.
• This biomaterial offers promising clinical applications for protecting wounds and preventing infection.