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Protocol to Create Chronic Wounds in Diabetic Mice
Published on: September 25, 2019
Programming the Diabetic-Infected Wound Microenvironment With a Smart Hydrogel for Ordered Healing Cascade
Aihong Chen1,2, Xiaoran Liu1, Xiaoqiang Wang3
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|August 5, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a smart hydrogel that dynamically adapts to diabetic wound conditions. It promotes healing by releasing therapeutic nanoparticles to combat infection, reduce inflammation, and stimulate blood vessel growth.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Wound Healing Research
Background:
- Diabetic-infected wounds exhibit a hostile microenvironment with high reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammation, and poor angiogenesis, hindering natural repair.
- Current wound dressings fail to dynamically address the complex, evolving conditions of diabetic wound healing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a smart, microenvironment-programmable hydrogel for phased and spatiotemporally coordinated regulation of diabetic-infected wound healing.
- To engineer a hydrogel capable of responding to the wound microenvironment and delivering therapeutic agents in a controlled manner.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel matrix integrated with strontium (Sr)-tannic acid (ST) nanoparticles via a boric acid-mediated dynamic crosslinking network.
- Investigated the hydrogel's ability to undergo on-demand dissociation in response to ROS, triggering the release of ST nanoparticles.
- Evaluated the therapeutic effects of released ST nanoparticles and Sr2+ ions on antibacterial activity, antioxidant properties, inflammation modulation, angiogenesis, and epithelialization in a diabetic wound model.
Main Results:
- The developed PVH-ST hydrogel demonstrated mechanical robustness and rapid hemostasis, forming a provisional matrix.
- On-demand dissociation of borate bonds in response to ROS led to controlled release of ST nanoparticles.
- Released ST nanoparticles exhibited antibacterial and antioxidant effects, reduced inflammation by modulating NF-κB signaling and M2 macrophage polarization.
- Sustained release of Sr2+ ions promoted vascularization and epithelial reconstruction, accelerating diabetic-infected wound healing.
Conclusions:
- The smart PVH-ST hydrogel offers a promising therapeutic strategy for diabetic-infected wound healing by dynamically addressing the complex microenvironment.
- The phased and coordinated release of therapeutic agents from the hydrogel effectively combats infection, inflammation, and promotes tissue regeneration.
