In situ forming ROS-scavenging hybrid hydrogel loaded with polydopamine-modified fullerene nanocomposites for promoting skin wound healing

Abstract

Background Excessive oxidative stress at the wound sites always leads to a prolonged healing and even causes chronic inflammatory wounds. Therefore, antioxidative dressings with multiple features are desired to improve wound healing performance. Herein, we fabricated a ROS-scavenging hybrid hydrogel by incorporating mussel-inspired fullerene nanocomposites (C60@PDA) into gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel. Results The developed C60@PDA/GelMA hydrogel showed a sustainable free radical scavenging ability, and eliminated ROS to protect cells against external oxidative stress damage. Besides, the hydrogel presented favorable cytocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and antibacterial ability in vitro. Furthermore, in a mouse full-thickness wound defect model, the in situ forming hybrid hydrogel accelerated wound closure by 38.5% and 42.9% on day 3 and day 7 over the control. Histological results demonstrated that hybrid hydrogels effectively enhanced wound healing on re-epithelialization, collagen deposition and angiogenesis. Conclusion Collectively, the C60@PDA/GelMA hydrogel could be a promising dressing for promoting cutaneous wound repair.

Research Progress of Hydrogel Microneedles in Wound Management

“…For example, chemically modified fullerenes have exhibited favorable characteristics such as good water-solubility, improved biocompatibility, and photodynamic properties, which have made them widely utilized as photosensitizers in anticancer and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy. Furthermore, fullerenes possess excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and drug-loading capabilities, indicating the tremendous potential of fullerene-loaded therapeutic drugs delivered through HMNs in the treatment of chronic wounds, including infections and diabetes. Additionally, considering the biophysical properties of fullerene nanomaterials, including their ability to generate various ROS (e.g., singlet oxygen and superoxide anion radical), as well as their resistance to photobleaching, they appear to be an intriguing carbon-based nanomaterial with potential applications in microneedle technology .…”

Gelatin-based biomaterials and gelatin as an additive for chronic wound repair

“…Tsg-THA&Fe promotes the polarization of macrophages from M1 to M2 and reduces the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Chen et al fabricated hybrid hydrogels of GelMA and PDA-coated fullerene (C60@PDA) for wound repair ( Chen et al, 2023b ). The C60@PDA hydrogels had good biocompatibility and were degraded entirely in vivo in 9 days.…”

Classification and application of metal-based nanoantioxidants in medicine and healthcare

“…In response, antioxidant nanomaterials coupled with hydrogels provide a promising method to topically deliver antioxidant nanomaterials into the body [ 154 – 155 ]. Nanoantioxidants (such as fullerene, cerium, gold, silver, and iron nanoparticles) and hydrogels (such as gelatin methacryloyl, chitosan/polycaprolactone, polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan, and polypyrrole-grafted gelatin) were combined to generate diverse combinations of nanocomposites for wound repair [ 156 – 161 ]. This strategy not only endows nanoantioxidants with topical delivery but also enhances stability and biocompatibility.…”