Self-Generated NO/ROS Nanoreactor Drives Bacterial Clearance and Angiogenesis in Diabetic Wounds

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Diabetic wound healing is impaired by bacterial biofilms and poor angiogenesis.
• Current treatments using reactive oxygen species (ROS) have limitations like H2O2 dependency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a nanoplatform (SNP/ZnO2@lipo) for enhanced diabetic wound healing.
• To synergize antibacterial and pro-angiogenic capacities for treating infected diabetic wounds.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a nanoplatform with zinc peroxide (ZnO2) cores and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) within a phospholipid shell.
• In situ generation of ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) triggered by the wound microenvironment.
• Evaluation of antibacterial efficacy, biocompatibility, and angiogenic potential in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

• The nanoplatform demonstrated potent synergistic antibacterial activity via ROS/RNS cascade and Fenton reactions.
• SNP/ZnO2@lipo promoted significant neovascularization and accelerated wound closure in diabetic murine models.
• The platform effectively cleared infection and enhanced vascular regeneration concurrently.

Conclusions:

• SNP/ZnO2@lipo acts as an intelligent, microenvironment-responsive nanoplatform for infected diabetic wounds.
• This approach overcomes limitations of exogenous H2O2 and offers a dual-action strategy.
• The nanoplatform shows significant promise for clinical translation in treating complex diabetic wounds.