Diabetic Wound Healing Enabled by a Tri-Functional MAX Phase via Cu Doping

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Diabetic wounds present complex pathological challenges, hindering effective healing.
• Current therapeutic strategies often lack multi-functionality to address the multifaceted nature of these wounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel tri-functional therapeutic material for diabetic wound healing.
• To investigate the efficacy of copper-doped single-phase Nb2(Sn0.7Cu0.3)C MAX phase material.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Cu-doped Nb2(Sn0.7Cu0.3)C MAX phase material.
• Evaluation of photothermal therapy via near-infrared plasmonic properties.
• Assessment of Cu2+ release and its impact on bacterial metabolism (cuproptosis) and host immune response.
• Analysis of Nb-C orbital hybridization for simulating VEGF functionality in angiogenesis.
• In vivo studies on diabetic wound models.

Main Results:

• Nb2(Sn0.7Cu0.3)C demonstrated photothermal disruption of bacterial structures.
• Controlled Cu2+ release induced bacterial cuproptosis and modulated immune cell activity.
• Material promoted regenerative macrophage phenotype and reduced neutrophil activation.
• Simulated VEGF functionality facilitated angiogenesis.
• In vivo results showed rapid infection clearance, immune homeostasis restoration, and effective angiogenesis.

Conclusions:

• Nb2(Sn0.7Cu0.3)C is a promising tri-functional therapeutic agent for diabetic wound healing.
• This material effectively addresses infection, inflammation, and regeneration simultaneously.
• It overcomes limitations of single-targeted therapies for complex wound management.