Albumin Hydrogels Loading Bacteriophage PA57 as a Promising Platform for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection Management

The global proliferation of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa stimulates the search for alternatives to conventional therapy. This study developed human serum albumin (HSA)-based hydrogels for the delivery of bacteriophage PA57. Matrices were fabricated via combined thermal- and ethanol-induced gelation. The release kinetic was dependent on protein concentration: 20% (w/v) HSA provided sustained release over 48 h, whereas 10-15% (w/v) HSA exhibited burst release effects. Combined systems effectively suppressed P. aeruginosa growth in vitro during the early and middle stages of incubation, maintaining low culture optical density for up to 28 h. Although late-stage bacterial regrowth was observed, the final bacterial load remained significantly lower than in the control. Furthermore, cytocompatibility assays with HaCaT keratinocytes and MRC-5 fibroblasts demonstrated high cell viability, confirming the safety of the hydrogel matrix for wound healing applications. These results demonstrate the promise of HSA-based hydrogels as a platform for localized phage therapy of infected wounds.