Two-Pronged Strategy\nof Biomechanically Active and\nBiochemically Multifunctional Hydrogel Wound Dressing To Accelerate\nWound Closure and Wound Healing

A two-pronged strategy of biomechanically\nactive and biochemically\nfunctional hydrogel wound dressing which can assist wound closure\nand have multiple functions to promote wound healing has been rarely\nreported. Herein, we designed a series of biomechanically active injectable\nself-healing hydrogels based on quaternized chitosan (QCS), polydopamine-coated\nreduction graphene oxide (rGO-PDA), and poly­(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide)\n(PNIPAm) as multifunctional wound dressings to promote wound closure\nand wound healing. These biomechanically active wound dressings have\nexcellent thermoresponsive self-contraction and tissue adhesion properties.\nThey adhere strongly to the skin and assist wound closure by actively\ncontracting wounds through self-contraction. Moreover, these hydrogels\nexhibit biochemical multifunctions that are beneficial to wound healing,\nincluding good self-healing property, temperature-dependent drug release\nability, anti-infection, antioxidation, and conductivity. The in vivo\nfull-thickness skin defect model demonstrates that the hydrogel dressings\nsignificantly promoted wound closure with accelerated wound contraction\nand promoted the wound-healing process with higher granulation tissue\nthickness, collagen disposition, and enhanced vascularization. In\nsummary, the biomechanically active injectable self-healing conductive\nadhesive hydrogels promoted wound healing by assisting wound closure\nand biochemical functions, opening a two-pronged strategy approach\nto wound management through combining biomechanical and biochemical\nfunctions together.