Stepwise AIE-Luminogen Hydrogels for Real-Time Translation of Wound pH Into Therapeutic Decisions

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing Research
• Infectious Disease Therapeutics

Background:

• Managing infectious wounds requires real-time monitoring of infection and healing to prevent undertreatment or overtreatment.
• Current methods lack the precision needed to dynamically adjust therapeutic strategies based on the wound microenvironment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop pH-responsive hydrogel films capable of signaling wound healing and infection status.
• To create a platform for precision therapy in infectious wounds by closing the 'sense-decide-treat' loop.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized three aggregation-induced-emission (AIE) luminogens with varying pKa values (5.8, 6.0, 6.8).
• Integrated AIE luminogens into a hydrogel matrix forming pH-responsive films.
• Utilized optical signal changes (fluorescence extinguishing) to indicate pH shifts related to inflammation and proliferation phases.

Main Results:

• The hydrogel films dynamically converted local pH fluctuations into on-off optical signals.
• The fluorescence of TPE-SDOX hydrogel (pKa 6.8) disappearing served as a precise optical marker for inflammatory resolution.
• Precise treatment based on hydrogel feedback reduced antibiotic exposure by 41.3% compared to conventional methods, accelerating re-epithelialization and improving healing synchrony.

Conclusions:

• pH-responsive AIE-hydrogel films provide real-time optical readouts of wound microenvironmental changes.
• This technology enables precise, adaptive treatment strategies for infectious wounds.
• The developed platform offers a generalizable approach for infection-precision therapy, improving therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects.