Metal-coordination synthesis of a natural injectable photoactive hydrogel with antibacterial and blood-aggregating functions for cancer thermotherapy and mild-heating wound repair

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising approach for treating cancer. However, it suffers from the formation of local lesions and subsequent bacterial infection in the damaged area. To overcome these challenges, the strategy of mild PTT following the high-temperature ablation of tumors is studied to achieve combined tumor suppression, wound healing, and bacterial eradication using a hydrogel. Herein, Bi2S3 nanorods (NRs) are employed as a photothermal agent and coated with hyaluronic acid to obtain BiH NRs with high colloidal stability. These NRs and allantoin are loaded into an injectable Fe3+-coordinated hydrogel composed of sodium alginate (Alg) and Farsi gum (FG), which is extracted from Amygdalus scoparia Spach. The hydrogel can be used for localized cancer therapy by high-temperature PTT, followed by wound repair through the combination of mild hyperthermia and allantoin-mediated induction of cell proliferation. In addition, an outstanding blood clotting effect is observed due to the water-absorbing ability and negative charge of FG and Alg as well as the porous structure of hydrogels. The hydrogels also eradicate infection owing to the local heat generation and intrinsic antimicrobial activity of the NRs. Lastly, in vivo studies reveal an efficient photothermal-based tumor eradication and accelerated wound healing by the hydrogel.

Automated summary

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising cancer treatment approach, but it can lead to local lesions and bacterial infection. To address these challenges, a strategy of mild PTT following high-temperature tumor ablation was studied, using a hydrogel for combined tumor suppression, wound healing, and bacterial eradication. Bi2S3 nanorods (NRs) coated with hyaluronic acid were employed as a photothermal agent, loaded into a Fe3+-coordinated hydrogel composed of sodium alginate (Alg) and Farsi gum (FG). The hydrogel showed excellent blood clotting effect and antimicrobial activity, and achieved efficient photothermal-based tumor eradication and accelerated wound healing in vivo.