Hemostatic, antibacterial, conductive and vascular regenerative integrated cryogel for accelerating the whole wound healing process

Abstract

The entire process of wound healing, involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, relies on various cell types and variables interaction in a very complicated temporal and spatial sequence, and this complex process faces serious challenges. Thus, it is necessary to develop wound dressings that can adapt to the different stages of the healing process. In this study, methacrylic anhydride-modified gelatin (GM), β-cyclodextrin modified reduced graphene oxide (rGO-CD), 1-vinylimidazole (VI), and zin ion (Zn2+) were combined to prepare GVG-Zn cryogels through radical polymerization, host–guest interaction, and ionic coordination. The cryogels exhibited enhanced mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, inter-connected porous structure, rapid expansion property, conductivity, biocompatibility, and photothermal antibacterial properties (above 99 % killing ratios of both E. coli and MRSA after NIR light irradiation 3 min). Furthermore, the cryogels showed excellent hemostasis in the non-compressible mouse liver hemorrhage model, compared with gauze and gelatin sponges. When the cryogel groups treated MRSA-infected full-thickness skin defected wounds, it showed less inflammatory infiltration, more collagen deposition, and induced angiogenesis, compared with the commercial dressings (Tegaderm™ film and Cosmopor®). The results indicated that GVG-Zn cryogels have good potential in non-compressible hemorrhage and wound healing.