Piezoelectric and photothermal dual functional film for enhanced dermal wound regeneration via upregulation of Hsp90 and HIF-1α

Abstract

Skin wounds, especially chronic wounds such as pressure and diabetic ulcers, are posing a huge threat to healthcare systems worldwide. Thus, novel strategies to realize effective wound therapy are nowadays extremely needed. Herein, we are the first to report a combination therapy of electric stimulation and heat for wound healing just using a facile piezoelectric and photothermal dual functional film. The film, name as CM@DA, is simply fabricated by coating polydopamine on a chitosan film. CM@DA generates electric voltages under mechanical pressure and shows photothermal effect with irradiation of near-infra red (NIR) light. In vivo experiment with rat full-thickness wound model validates that CM@DA with NIR can effectively promote wound regeneration due to the generation of electric stimulation and heat on wounds. The healing mechanism of CM@DA is further investigated, and the result demonstrates that CM@DA enhances wound healing through a pathway in which heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) participate. These results indicate that CM@DA is a promising wound dressing candidate for clinical application in the future.