An injectable polysaccharide hydrogel integrating dynamic network formation with the coagulation cascade for rapid...

Uncontrolled hemorrhage remains a major clinical challenge, particularly in non-compressible and highly vascularized tissues. Injectable hydrogels are promising hemostatic materials because they can rapidly conform to irregular wound and undergo in situ gelation. However, many systems rely on additional procoagulant agents such as thrombin, platelet derivatives and nanoclay, where the hydrogel matrix mainly acts as a passive carrier. Herein, an injectable hydrogel that integrated hydrogel network formation with activation of the coagulation cascade was reported through a Ca²⁺-mediated strategy. The hydrogel was constructed from phenylboronic acid modified chitosan (PBA-CS) and dopamine-functionalized oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA-DA). The incorporation of Ca²⁺ not only enabled the formation of an injectable hydrogel network but also activated the coagulation cascade. As a result, the hydrogel simultaneously provided rapid physical sealing and biochemical coagulation activation, leading to enhanced hemostatic performance. This work provided a bioactive crosslinking strategy that coupled hydrogel assembly with coagulation cascade activation for efficient hemostasis.