Ultrasound-responsive hydrogel with ROS scavenging and NO controllable release capabilities for accelerated healing...

Diabetic wounds represent a common and challenging complication of diabetes mellitus, characterized by a complex pathological microenvironment that includes excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), chronic inflammation, hypoxia, and impaired nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. These factors collectively contribute to delayed wound healing, increased infection risk, and potential progression to chronic non-healing ulcers. Herein, we constructed a multifunctional injectable hydrogel (Prussian blue nanozyme and S-nitrosothiol-loaded hydrogel, PBE&SNO@HG) co-loaded with multi-enzyme-mimicking Prussian blue nanozymes (PBE) and an ultrasound-responsive nitric oxide (NO) donor (SNO). This composite hydrogel exhibited favorable injectability and tissue adhesiveness. The incorporated PBE nanozymes simultaneously mimicked superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), enabling the scavenging of superoxide anions (⋅O₂ ^-) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), thereby reducing oxidative stress levels at the wound site. Additionally, the ultrasound (US)-responsive release of NO promoted angiogenesis and alleviates inflammatory responses in the wound area. Animal experiments demonstrated that this hydrogel system significantly enhances collagen deposition, accelerates re-epithelialization, promotes hair follicle regeneration, and accelerates wound healing. This study demonstrated the synergistic effect of combining antioxidant strategies with gas therapy in diabetic wound treatment, while also indicating that US-responsive hydrogel materials can achieve on-demand release of therapeutic molecules via external field stimulation, thereby providing a novel strategy for chronic wound management.