Rapid Forming, Robust Adhesive Fungal‐Sourced Chitosan Hydrogels Loaded with Deferoxamine for Sutureless Short‐Gap Peripheral Nerve Repair

Abstract Clinically, conventional sutures for repair of short‐distance nerve injuries (< 5 mm) may contribute to uncontrolled inflammation and scar formation, thus negatively impacting nerve regeneration. To repair transected peripheral nerves with short distances, a rapid‐forming, robust adhesive chitosan hydrogel is prepared by synthesizing maleic and dopamine bi‐functionalized fungal‐sourced chitosan (DM) and subsequently photopolymerizing DM precursor solution. The hydrogel rapidly polymerized under UV light irradiation (≈2 s) and possessed a strong adhesive strength (273.33 ± 55.07 kPa), facilitating a fast bonding of nerve stump. Especially, its tailored degradation profile over 28 days supported both early gap bridging and subsequent nerve regeneration. Furthermore, deferoxamine (DFO), a pro‐angiogenic drug, is loaded into the hydrogel to reach sustainable release, accelerating axonal growth synergistically. A 3 mm long sciatic nerve defects model in rats is used to investigate the efficacy of DM@DFO hydrogel for repairing peripheral nerve defects. After 60 days, the DM@DFO hydrogel significantly outperformed conventional sutures and fibrin glue, improving motor and sensory recovery by reducing inflammation, inhibiting scar formation, and accelerating vascular regeneration within 14 days post‐repair. This work highlights the DM@DFO hydrogel as a promising tissue adhesive for effective short‐distance peripheral nerve repair.