Wound healing properties of a new hydrogel based on 50nm selenium nanoparticles in an excisional wound model

This study synthesized a hydrogel based on 50 nm selenium nanoparticles of at two concentrations (50 and 100 μg/mL) for the first time and investigated its therapeutic properties in a mouse excision wound model. We found that SeNPs are physically incorporated into the gel structure or interact with the matrix primarily through weak non-covalent bonds, without causing degradation of the chemical bonds of the carbomer matrix. Our nanogel, based on carbopol and selenium, combines a minimalist formula with laser-synthesized nanoparticles (ζ = -25 mV) without surfactants. This system overcomes the limitations of traditional wound healing gels, providing maximum hypoallergenic safety, high cost-effectiveness, and prolonged therapeutic action. We have proposed a stable wound-healing formulation that does not contain antibiotics or synthetic preservatives, where the key active component is therapeutic selenium nanoparticles. The resulting composite is chemically stable even when the SeNPs concentration is doubled. The therapeutic properties of both gels were studied at the tissue and molecular levels. A dose-dependent difference in wound healing rate was demonstrated on day 5 of treatment, which is due to a slower activation of anti-inflammatory, collagen-synthesizing, and regenerative processes when wounds are treated with a gel containing SeNPs at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. This study suggests that our developed gel based on 50 nm SeNPs at a concentration of 100 μg/mL can be considered a promising wound-healing agent for the treatment of excisional wounds.