Wound healing is a significant problem in clinical management. Various functional dressings are studied to promote wound healing through biochemical factors. They are generally expensive, complex to fabricate, and may adversely affect the wound. Mechanical forces are the critical regulators of tissue repair. Although contraction is shown to promote wound healing, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, a novel adhesive temperature-sensitive mechanically active hydrogel with a simple and inexpensive preparation process is developed. The dressing is able to adhere to the wound surface and actively contract the wound in response to body temperature. This mechanical contraction enhances the proliferative activity of basal cells, reduces the inflammatory response of the wound, and promotes wound healing. Furthermore, RNA-seq clarifies how the gene regulatory network is regulated by contraction. Finally, using pharmacological inhibitors, YAP and MEK are identified as the key signaling molecules for contraction-mediated tissue healing in vivo.
Qing Zhong,Rui Zhang,Ying Chen,Shaozao Tan,Langhuan Huang,Jingxian Zhang,Zirong Luo
An impaired epithelial barrier, weakened skin contraction, and inflammatory infection represent three major challenges in the closure of large-area acute/chronic wounds; however, clinically effective methods for monitoring dynamic wound healing are lacking. To address these issues, a theranostic multifunctional antibacterial and anti-infective active contractile hydrogel wound dressing (NGPR-Zn) is developed. It is fabricated via free-radical polymerization and freeze-thaw cross-linking using N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), modified carboxylated chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), red cabbage extract (RCE), and zinc ions. The NGPR-Zn hydrogel dressing for large-area acute bacterial-infected wounds can undergo temperature-responsive contraction while sustainably releasing Zn 2 ⁺, accelerating wound closure and providing efficient antibacterial and anti-infective effects. In chronic wound management (e.g., diabetic ulcers), in addition to mechanical contraction stimulation, it promotes healing through mechanisms such as oxidative stress mitigation, inflammatory infection reduction, and enhanced neovascularization. A unique advantage lies in the pH-responsive color-changing capability of RCE, where chromatic transitions under different pH conditions are closely correlated with the wound-healing stages, enabling dynamic and precise monitoring via smartphone imaging. This intelligent dressing integrates “mechanical contraction-biochemical regulation-dynamic monitoring” in a synergistic multifunctional system, laying the foundation for the development of personalized and precise theranostic platforms.
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）