A novel dual-adhesive and bioactive hydrogel activated by bioglass for wound healing

Dual adhesiveness to tissue and implant biomaterials and bioactivity to stimulate tissue regeneration are interesting properties for developing new generations of tissue-repairing hydrogels with potential new clinical applications. In this study, we developed a unique bioglass (BG)/oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) composite hydrogel with adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH)-modified y-polyglutamic acid (y-PGA) as the cross-linking agent, in which the BG plays a multifunctional role to endow the hydrogel with both dual-adhesive and bioactive properties. On one hand, the BG could improve the tissue-bonding strength by providing an alkaline microenvironment to stimulate the bond formation between OSA and the amino groups on the surrounding tissues. On the other hand, BG endows the hydrogel with adhesiveness to implantable materials by releasing Ca ions, which might chelate with the carboxyl groups of the hydrogel matrix. In addition, the composite hydrogel showed excellent bioactivity to promote vascularization and accelerate tissue regeneration. This study demonstrates that a multifunctional hydrogel can be designed by utilizing the multifunctional ions released from silicate BG, and the BG/OSA hydrogel shows good potential as an adhesive and bioactive material for wound-healing applications.