Bidirectional redox-modulating vanadium carbide-integrated smart microneedles for infected wound healing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Wound healing faces a reactive oxygen species (ROS) paradox: essential for defense but detrimental in excess.
• Current treatments like single-component nanomaterials or multi-drug systems have limitations, including poor ROS regulation, stability issues, and antimicrobial resistance.
• Addressing these challenges is crucial for effective clinical translation in wound management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an intelligent microneedle system for bidirectional ROS regulation to overcome the wound healing paradox.
• To create a therapeutic platform with enhanced antibacterial properties, anti-inflammatory effects, and accelerated tissue regeneration.
• To investigate the potential of a vanadium carbide (V4C3)-iodinene (Ine)@polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) system for advanced wound care.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a smart microneedle system using V4C3, Ine, and PVA.
• Utilizing the intrinsic bifunctionality of V4C3 for light-activated ROS generation and ROS scavenging.
• Employing laser control for switchable ROS regulation and evaluating system performance in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

• The V4C3-Ine@PVA microneedle system demonstrated potent antibacterial activity and effective ROS regulation.
• The system successfully induced M2 macrophage polarization and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression.
• Experiments confirmed accelerated wound healing with reduced inflammation and enhanced tissue repair.

Conclusions:

• The developed smart microneedle system effectively resolves the ROS paradox in wound healing through laser-controlled, switchable ROS regulation.
• This innovative platform overcomes limitations of conventional treatments, avoiding issues like drug resistance.
• The system shows significant potential for clinical translation in advanced wound management.