Double crosslinked cryogels based on glycidyl methacrylate modified chitosan for hemostasis and wound healing

Post-traumatic wound management is a critical issue that needs to be addressed. Chitosan (CS) with inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability is widely applied in wound healing, but the products of CS often suffer from poor water solubility and mechanical strength. Herein, we developed new double-crosslinked CS-based cryogels. Firstly, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was used to modify CS for the crosslinking of double bonds, followed by further crosslinking with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE). A series of CS-based cryogels were prepared by adjusting the concentration of CS from 2wt% to 4wt% and the content of BDDE from 0.1vol% to 0.4vol%. The CS-based cryogels demonstrated enhanced mechanical properties as the concentration of CS increased, higher swelling capacity as the content of BDDE increased and potent antioxidant activity around 80%. The CS-based cryogels exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial performance, with antibacterial rates over 90% against both S. aureus and E. coli. Cytotoxicity and hemolysis assays confirmed the biocompatibility and hemocompatibility of the cryogels. The CS-based cryogels reduced blood loss in mice tail amputation models and accelerated tissue regeneration in full-thickness wound models demonstrating potential for clinical application. Among them, the CS₃-GB₃ cryogel demonstrated the most effective promotion of wound healing.