Glycopeptide-based multifunctional nanofibrous hydrogel that facilitates the healing of diabetic wounds infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Diabetic wound management remains a significant challenge in clinical care due to bacterial infections, excessive inflammation, presence of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), and impaired angiogenesis. The use of multifunctional wound dressings has several advantages in diabetic wound healing. Moreover, the balance of macrophage polarization plays a crucial role in promoting skin regeneration. However, few studies have focused on the development of multifunctional wound dressings that can regulate the inflammatory microenvironment and promote diabetic wound healing. In this study, an extracellular matrix-inspired glycopeptide hydrogel composed of glucomannan and polypeptide was proposed for regulating the local microenvironment of diabetic wound sites. The hydrogel network, which was formed via Schiff base and hydrogen bonding interactions, effectively inhibited inflammation and promoted angiogenesis during wound healing. The hydrogels exhibited sufficient self-healing ability and had the potential to scavenge ROS and to activate the mannose receptor (MR), thereby inducing macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype. The experimental results confirm that the glycopeptide hydrogel is an effective tool for managing diabetic wounds by showing antibacterial, ROS scavenging, and anti-inflammatory effects, and promoting angiogenesis to facilitate wound repair and skin regeneration in vivo.

Statement of Significance

•The designed wound dressing combines the advantage of natural polysaccharide and polypeptide.

•The hydrogel promotes M2-polarized macrophages, antibacterial, scavenges ROS, and angiogenesis.

•The multifunctional glycopeptide hydrogel dressing could accelerating diabetic wound healing in vivo.