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.