An Intrinsically Multifunctional Peptide Coiled-Coil Hydrogel with Controlled Dynamic Contraction for Active Infected...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Wound Healing

Background:

• Infected wound healing faces challenges due to hostile microenvironments and limited treatments.
• Current hydrogels partially address wound healing but lack simultaneous environmental modulation and physical closure capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a smart hydrogel capable of active wound contraction and infection management.
• To develop a multifunctional material that accelerates infected wound healing through coordinated actions.

Main Methods:

• Integration of antimicrobial peptide tetramers and stimuli-responsive peptide dimers into a polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel matrix.
• In situ hydrogel formation and Zn2+-triggered self-assembly for dynamic contraction.
• Evaluation of antimicrobial, antioxidant, mechanical, and wound healing properties.

Main Results:

• The developed hydrogel exhibits intrinsic antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.
• Zn2+ treatment induces rapid, controllable hydrogel contraction, actively closing wound edges.
• The hydrogel demonstrates enhanced toughness, swelling resistance, and accelerates infected wound healing by orchestrating multiple healing phases.

Conclusions:

• This intrinsically multifunctional hydrogel offers an advanced solution for infected wound management.
• The smart hydrogel design enables on-demand wound contraction, bacterial eradication, and promotion of re-epithelialization.
• The material represents a significant step towards bioactive dressings that actively manage the wound healing cascade.