Polydopamine-assisted smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel: Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healing

Introduction: Wound infections and formation of biofilms caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria have constituted a series of wound deteriorated and life-threatening problems. The in situ resisting bacterial adhesion, killing multidrug-resistance bacteria, and releasing dead bacteria is strongly requ...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zheng Fang, Qingyan He, Yanyu Hu, Xu Chen, Fan Li, Xixi Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Advanced Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123224003680
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850114713874071552
author Zheng Fang
Qingyan He
Yanyu Hu
Xu Chen
Fan Li
Xixi Cai
author_facet Zheng Fang
Qingyan He
Yanyu Hu
Xu Chen
Fan Li
Xixi Cai
author_sort Zheng Fang
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Wound infections and formation of biofilms caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria have constituted a series of wound deteriorated and life-threatening problems. The in situ resisting bacterial adhesion, killing multidrug-resistance bacteria, and releasing dead bacteria is strongly required to supply a gap of existing sterilization strategies. Objectives: This study aims to present a facile approach to construct a bacteria-responsive hydrogel with switchable antimicrobial-antifouling properties through a “resisting-killing-releasing” method. Methods: The smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel was constructed by two-step immersion strategy: a simple immersion-coating process to construct Polydopamine (pDA) coatings on the surface of a gelatin-chitosan composite hydrogel and followed by grafting of bactericidal quaternary ammonium chitosan (QCS) as well as pH-responsive PMAA to this pDA coating. The in vitro antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility and the in vivo wound healing effects in a mouse MRSA-infected full-thickness defect model of the hydrogel were further evaluated. Results: Assisted by polydopamine coating, the pH-responsive PMAA and bactericidal QCS are successfully grafted onto a gelatin-chitosan composite hydrogel surface and hydrogels maintain the adequate mechanical properties. At physiological conditions, the PMAA hydration layer endows the hydrogel with resistance to initial bacterial attachment. Once bacteria colonize and acidize local environment, the swelling PMAA chains tend to collapse then expose the bactericidal QCS, realizing the on-demand kill bacteria. Moreover, the dead bacteria can be released and the hydrogel will resume the resistance due to hydrophilicity of PMAA at increased pH, endowing the surface renewable ability. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate the favorable biocompatibility and wound healing capacity of hydrogels that can inhibit infection and further facilitate granulation tissue, angiogenesis, and collagen synthesis. Conclusion: This strategy provides a novel methodology for the development and design of smart wound dressing to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria infections.
format Article
id doaj-art-bfb3bc6760b542909c04f87d2df693e1
institution OA Journals
issn 2090-1232
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Journal of Advanced Research
spelling doaj-art-bfb3bc6760b542909c04f87d2df693e12025-08-20T02:36:46ZengElsevierJournal of Advanced Research2090-12322025-07-017328329410.1016/j.jare.2024.08.025Polydopamine-assisted smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel: Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healingZheng Fang0Qingyan He1Yanyu Hu2Xu Chen3Fan Li4Xixi Cai5Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, ChinaCollege of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaCollege of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, ChinaInstitute of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, ChinaCollege of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; Corresponding author at: College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China.Introduction: Wound infections and formation of biofilms caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria have constituted a series of wound deteriorated and life-threatening problems. The in situ resisting bacterial adhesion, killing multidrug-resistance bacteria, and releasing dead bacteria is strongly required to supply a gap of existing sterilization strategies. Objectives: This study aims to present a facile approach to construct a bacteria-responsive hydrogel with switchable antimicrobial-antifouling properties through a “resisting-killing-releasing” method. Methods: The smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel was constructed by two-step immersion strategy: a simple immersion-coating process to construct Polydopamine (pDA) coatings on the surface of a gelatin-chitosan composite hydrogel and followed by grafting of bactericidal quaternary ammonium chitosan (QCS) as well as pH-responsive PMAA to this pDA coating. The in vitro antimicrobial activity, biocompatibility and the in vivo wound healing effects in a mouse MRSA-infected full-thickness defect model of the hydrogel were further evaluated. Results: Assisted by polydopamine coating, the pH-responsive PMAA and bactericidal QCS are successfully grafted onto a gelatin-chitosan composite hydrogel surface and hydrogels maintain the adequate mechanical properties. At physiological conditions, the PMAA hydration layer endows the hydrogel with resistance to initial bacterial attachment. Once bacteria colonize and acidize local environment, the swelling PMAA chains tend to collapse then expose the bactericidal QCS, realizing the on-demand kill bacteria. Moreover, the dead bacteria can be released and the hydrogel will resume the resistance due to hydrophilicity of PMAA at increased pH, endowing the surface renewable ability. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate the favorable biocompatibility and wound healing capacity of hydrogels that can inhibit infection and further facilitate granulation tissue, angiogenesis, and collagen synthesis. Conclusion: This strategy provides a novel methodology for the development and design of smart wound dressing to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria infections.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123224003680Wound infectionBacteria-responsiveKill-release strategySmart hydrogelsWound healing
spellingShingle Zheng Fang
Qingyan He
Yanyu Hu
Xu Chen
Fan Li
Xixi Cai
Polydopamine-assisted smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel: Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healing
Journal of Advanced Research
Wound infection
Bacteria-responsive
Kill-release strategy
Smart hydrogels
Wound healing
title Polydopamine-assisted smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel: Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healing
title_full Polydopamine-assisted smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel: Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healing
title_fullStr Polydopamine-assisted smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel: Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healing
title_full_unstemmed Polydopamine-assisted smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel: Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healing
title_short Polydopamine-assisted smart bacteria-responsive hydrogel: Switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healing
title_sort polydopamine assisted smart bacteria responsive hydrogel switchable antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities for accelerated wound healing
topic Wound infection
Bacteria-responsive
Kill-release strategy
Smart hydrogels
Wound healing
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123224003680
work_keys_str_mv AT zhengfang polydopamineassistedsmartbacteriaresponsivehydrogelswitchableantimicrobialandantifoulingcapabilitiesforacceleratedwoundhealing
AT qingyanhe polydopamineassistedsmartbacteriaresponsivehydrogelswitchableantimicrobialandantifoulingcapabilitiesforacceleratedwoundhealing
AT yanyuhu polydopamineassistedsmartbacteriaresponsivehydrogelswitchableantimicrobialandantifoulingcapabilitiesforacceleratedwoundhealing
AT xuchen polydopamineassistedsmartbacteriaresponsivehydrogelswitchableantimicrobialandantifoulingcapabilitiesforacceleratedwoundhealing
AT fanli polydopamineassistedsmartbacteriaresponsivehydrogelswitchableantimicrobialandantifoulingcapabilitiesforacceleratedwoundhealing
AT xixicai polydopamineassistedsmartbacteriaresponsivehydrogelswitchableantimicrobialandantifoulingcapabilitiesforacceleratedwoundhealing