Ultrasound-Activated Bifunctional Piezoelectric Hydrogel Dressings Promote Infected Wound Healing via Regulating...

Impaired wound healing resulting from bacterial infections represents a major clinical challenge, necessitating the development of wound dressings simultaneously possessing superior antimicrobial properties and excellent promoting wound healing ability. In this study, we designed a double network piezoelectric hydrogel AB-Gel, leveraging ultrasound-triggered piezoelectric-catalyzed therapy, to enhance healing in infected wounds. Using acryloylglycine and gelatin as substrates, we embedded barium titanate nanoparticles within the hydrogel. The hydrogel exhibited excellent adhesion and reproducibility. Ultrasonic stimulation induced a synergistic effect combining acoustic activation and piezoelectric polarization, leading to enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation at the hydrogel interface, endowing the AB-Gel hydrogel with strong antimicrobial capabilities. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that the piezoelectric AB-Gel significantly accelerated infected wound healing by regulating inflammatory response, promoting granulation formation, angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis, a process rarely reported during wound healing. Consequently, the piezoelectric AB-Gel hydrogel orchestrates the infected, refractory wounds' microenvironment to facilitate wound healing and will be of high value in the treatment of infected wounds. As such, this piezoelectric hydrogel provides a promising, versatile option for clinical translation.