Injectable self-healing oxidized hyaluronic acid hydrogel remodels the healing microenvironment for efficient wound...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Traditional sutures cause secondary injury, and current adhesives lack strong adhesion, safety, and adaptability.
• Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation impede wound healing by disrupting the microenvironment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design an injectable, self-healing hydrogel adhesive that actively remodels the wound healing microenvironment.
• To address limitations of current wound closure methods by balancing adhesion, safety, and microenvironment regulation.

Main Methods:

• Dynamic borate ester crosslinking of oxidized-hyaluronic acid and poly(vinyl alcohol) (OHA-PBA/PVA).
• Incorporation of phenylboronic acid groups for ROS scavenging.
• Evaluation in a rat full-thickness skin incision model.

Main Results:

• The OHA-PBA/PVA hydrogel demonstrated rapid gelation, strong tissue adhesion, and self-healing properties.
• Hydrogel application resulted in wound closure comparable to sutures, with reduced inflammation.
• Mechanism of action includes alleviating oxidative stress, promoting M2 macrophage polarization, and enhancing organized collagen deposition.

Conclusions:

• The developed hydrogel adhesive actively modulates the physical, biochemical, and immune microenvironments for enhanced wound repair.
• This material offers a promising alternative to sutures for high-quality tissue regeneration.
• Material design can be a strategy to actively regulate multiple healing microenvironments.