An In Situ Embedded B-MOF Sponge With Shape-Memory for All-in-One Diabetic Wound Therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Wound Healing

Background:

• Diabetic wounds present challenges due to inflammation, poor vascularization, and infection risk.
• Current treatments often fail to address the complex wound microenvironment effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer an intelligent shape-memory sponge (P1A3@B-MOF) for programmable modulation of the diabetic wound microenvironment.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of released components on wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a composite sponge from oxidized pullulan and acellular dermal matrix, incorporating ZIF-8 MOFs with salvianolic acid B.
• Exudate-triggered shape recovery and pH-responsive drug release mechanism.
• In vivo assessment using a diabetic rat model to evaluate wound closure, inflammation, vascularization, and scarring.

Main Results:

• The sponge demonstrated exudate-triggered shape recovery and pH-responsive release of Zn2+ and salvianolic acid B.
• Synergistic effects included broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, M1 to M2 macrophage repolarization, and activation of the Hif-1α/VEGF pathway.
• Accelerated wound closure (98.5% by day 14) and modulated collagen deposition via the TGF-β/Smad axis, reducing scar formation.

Conclusions:

• The P1A3@B-MOF sponge effectively modulates the diabetic wound microenvironment, promoting immune homeostasis and functional skin regeneration.
• This intelligent biomaterial offers a promising therapeutic strategy for complex diabetic wound management.