Self-Reinforcing Nanozyme-Integrated Microneedles Orchestrate Cascaded Regulation of ROS Homeostasis for Infected...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Chronic diabetic wounds are a major complication of diabetes, characterized by persistent infection, inflammation, and poor healing.
• Biofilm-associated infections and impaired angiogenesis significantly hinder wound repair in diabetic patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multifunctional microneedle platform for reprogramming the microenvironment of chronic diabetic wounds.
• To investigate the therapeutic potential of ruthenium dioxide nanozymes coated with cationic chitosan (RuO2@QCS-MN) for accelerating diabetic wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microneedles loaded with RuO2@QCS NPs for enhanced biofilm penetration and targeted delivery.
• Utilizing photothermal antibacterial activity, ROS scavenging, and in situ oxygen generation for wound microenvironment modulation.
• In vitro and in vivo evaluation in diabetic wound models to assess antibacterial efficacy, inflammation suppression, and promotion of re-epithelialization and neovascularization.

Main Results:

• The RuO2@QCS-MN platform demonstrated efficient penetration of bacterial biofilms and targeted delivery of nanozymes.
• The system exhibited potent photothermal antibacterial effects, significant ROS scavenging, and in situ oxygen generation.
• In vitro and in vivo studies confirmed bacterial elimination, reduced inflammation, and enhanced angiogenesis, accelerating wound repair.

Conclusions:

• The developed nanozyme-enabled microneedle platform effectively reprograms the diabetic wound microenvironment, addressing key pathological factors.
• This integrated therapeutic strategy shows significant promise for the localized treatment of infected chronic diabetic wounds.
• The study establishes a novel paradigm for utilizing nanozymes in microneedle systems for advanced wound care.