Development of a Microenvironment-Responsive Hydrogel Promoting Chronically Infected Diabetic Wound Healing through Sequential Hemostatic, Antibacterial, and Angiogenic Activities

Microenvironment-responsive hydrogels present high potential in treating refractory wounds due to their capability of on-demand drug release. In this study, a specially designed hydrogel with smart targeting of refractory wound characteristics was designed to treat chronically infected diabetic wounds. Aminated gelatin reacted with oxidized dextran, forming a hydrogel cross-linked with a dynamic Schiff base, which is sensitive to the low-pH environment in refractory wounds. Nano-ZnO was loaded into the hydrogel for killing microbes. A Paeoniflorin-encapsulated micelle with a ROS-responsive property was fixed to the skeleton of the hydrogel via a Schiff base bond for low-pH- and ROS-stimulated angiogenic activity. The sequential responsiveness of the novel hydrogel enabled smart rescue of the deleterious microenvironment in refractory wounds. This highly biocompatible hydrogel demonstrated antibacterial and angiogenic abilities in vitro and significantly promoted healing of chronically infected diabetic wounds via sequential hemostatic, microbe killing, and angiogenic activities. This microenvironment-responsive hydrogel loaded with nZnO and Pf-encapsulated micelles holds great potential as a location-specific dual-response delivery platform for curing refractory, chronically infected diabetic wounds.