On-Demand Silk Protein-Based Spray for Acute Burn Wound Management

Abstract

There is a critical unmet need to improve the treatment of battlefield burns. Rapid and efficient wound protection and closure are essential to prevent infections, reduce pain, and minimize scarring. This study introduces a portable, field-applicable spray system designed to instantly apply a protective hydrogel coating with therapeutic agents to wounds of varying sizes and shapes for emergency treatments. By mimicking natural silk-spinning processes, the current spray-on hydrogel coating is optimized to create a self-standing, spider-web-like interwoven structure that supports tissue adhesion, cell viability, and vascular regeneration. In vivo testing in a porcine burn model demonstrates that these silk-based spray-on coatings, especially when combined with antibiotics, significantly accelerated healing in deep partial-thickness burns compared to standard treatments. This spray system supports rapid and effective performance for emergency medical use, offering an advancement in functional biomaterials.