ROS-Responsive Hydrogel Loaded with Antimicrobial Peptides Accelerated Infected Wound Healing

Skin injury triggers the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as H₂O₂ in the wound microenvironment. In addition to ROS produced by the wound itself, ROS produced by bacterial infections likewise cause severe damage to blood vessels and endothelial cells, leading to chronic or unhealed wounds. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is widely used in hydrogel construction due to its rich bioactivity. In this study, an antibacterial hydrogel with ROS responsiveness was synthesized by grafting HA through phenylboronic acid, cross-linking it with PVA in a ROS-sensitive phenylboron ester bond, and loading it with AMP for the treatment of bacterial-infected wounds. In vitro experiments proved that the hydrogel has good biocompatibility, antioxidant ability, and significant inhibition of E. coli and S. aureus. In vivo experiments proved that the hydrogel promotes the healing of infected wounds in mice, raises the level of IL-6/TGF-β at the wounds, reduces the inflammation of the wounds, raises the level of expression of CD31/VEGF, and promotes the angiogenesis of wounds.