Sustained nitric oxide release via formylfuroxan-conjugated polymeric micelles accelerates burn wound closure

Near-quantitative polymer functionalization enabled high NO-donor loading. • NO-releasing micelles were not cysteine-responsive, revealing new insights into NO release. • NO-releasing micelles accelerated burn wound healing and promoted vascular regeneration. Burn injuries are often accompanied by severe vascular damage, local tissue hypoxia, and subsequent scar formation. Although nitric oxide (NO) has been widely recognized for its ability to promote angiogenesis and tissue regeneration, achieving sustained NO delivery remains a major challenge. Herein, we developed a formylfuroxan-conjugated NO-releasing micelle (NORM) for burn wound repair. Compared with conventional small-molecule NO donors, the micellar architecture effectively mitigates burst NO release and enables prolonged, sustained NO delivery. In vitro studies demonstrated that NORM exhibits excellent hemocompatibility, minimal cytotoxicity, and a pronounced pro-angiogenic effect. Furthermore, therapeutic evaluation in a murine burn wound model revealed that NORM significantly accelerated wound closure. Collectively, these results demonstrate that sustained NO delivery through NORM effectively promotes vascularized tissue regeneration and highlight its potential as a promising therapeutic strategy for burn wound management. Download: Download high-res image (277KB) Download: Download full-size image