Thermosensitive Hydrogel Loaded with the Polydopamine/Cerium Dioxide/Montmorillonite Nanocomposite for Bacteria-Infected Wound Therapy

Abstract

Bacterial infections pose a serious threat to human health by significantly slowing the wound healing process. Furthermore, traditional antibiotics may promote the development of multidrug-resistant bacteria. For bacterial-infected wounds, there is an urgent need for the development of a nonantibiotic-dependent multifunctional wound dressing. Herein, polydopamine/cerium dioxide/montmorillonite (PDA/CeO 2 /Mt) nanocomposite was embedded into thermosensitive pluronic F-127/xanthan gum hydrogel to prepare a multifunctional PCM-FX hydrogel with antibacterial and hemostatic functions. The PDA and hollow CeO 2 nanoparticles of the PDA/CeO 2 /Mt nanocomposite endowed the PCM-FX hydrogel with superb photothermal properties and highly efficient nanoenzyme activity, respectively. Moreover, PDA/CeO 2 /Mt nanocomposites can also effectively improve the rheological properties and good adhesion properties of the hydrogels. The synergistic photothermal therapy/chemodynamic therapy of PCM-FX hydrogels achieves good antibacterial properties against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The PCM-FX hydrogels exhibit high hemostatic performance as well as low cytotoxicity. Additionally, PCM-FX hydrogels proved a significant multifunctional antibacterial therapy, meanwhile promoting fibroblast proliferation and granulation tissue formation to accelerate bacteria-infected wound healing. This safe and multifunctional wound dressing holds great potential for clinical applications in accelerating bacterial-infected wound healing.