Self-Powered Enzymatic Biofuel Cell for Synergistic Therapy and Real-Time Monitoring of Diabetic Wounds

The clinical care of diabetic chronic wounds faces the dilemma that traditional dressings cannot simultaneously achieve real-time status monitoring and synergy treatment, while existing intelligent dressings are restricted in clinical application due to their reliance on external power sources. To tackle this, this study develops a self-powered enzymatic biofuel cell (EBFC) with protein hydrogel patch electrodes for personalized and intelligent wound care. Using bovine serum albumin/polypyrrole as the electrode scaffold, the cathode patch is fabricated with zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), while the anode patch is constructed by incorporating glucose oxidase-loaded ZIF-8. Inside, enzymatic cascades leverage hyperglycemia to generate antibacterial reactive oxygen species, which synergize with near-infrared photothermal effects to boost antibacterial efficacy; meanwhile, inter-electrode microelectric fields accelerate cell migration. It also monitors battery output voltage to provide real-time feedback on wound glucose levels for wound assessment. Integrating synergistic antibacterial activity, migration acceleration, and real-time monitoring, this EBFC creates an integrated diabetic wound diagnosis-treatment platform. In vitro/in vivo tests confirm its good biocompatibility, effective promotion of infected diabetic wound healing, and potential to advance intelligent wound care as a novel biomedical strategy.