Conductive hydrogel dressings based on cascade reactions with photothermal effect for monitoring and treatment of diabetic wounds

Diabetic chronic wounds have serious threats to public health, posing enormous challenges and financial burdens around the world. Monitoring and treatment of chronic diabetic wounds is an urgent issue that must be addressed right now. Herein, conductive hydrogels with multifunctionality were proposed and created by incorporating polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles, glucose oxidase (GOx) and catalase (CAT) into polydopamine/acrylamide (PDA/AM) hydrogels to monitor and repair diabetic chronic wounds. Under the irradiation of 808 nm Nearinfrared (NIR), PDA nanoparticles encapsulated in PDA/AM hydrogels possessed good antibacterial capabilities (99.99%). The introduction of GOx not only lowered hyperglycemia to normal level (5.1 mmol/L), but it also improved wound hemostasis adhesion (38 kPa). Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generated oxygen (O2, 18 mg/ mL) via a cascade reaction under the catalysis of CAT, which could accelerate angiogenesis and stimulate cell migration and proliferation. The addition of ions enabled the hydrogel to have excellent electrical conductivity, allowing for precise wound healing monitoring. Conductive hydrogels with the multifunction of hemostasis, antibacterial, hyperglycemia manipulation, and O2 generation show promise in diabetic foot wound repair and wound monitoring.

Automated summary

Diabetic chronic wounds pose significant threats to public health, but conductive hydrogels with multifunctionality offer a potential solution by enabling monitoring and repair of these wounds.