New material inspired by mussels could prevent secondary damage to wounds

Author Li Chuanfu

Wound healing is a complex process involving multiple stages such as hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. Traditional wound treatment methods, such as direct suturing, can promote wound healing to a certain extent, but they also bring many problems. For example, suturing may cause wound tearing, which can cause pain when removing sutures and may leave scars. In addition, traditional dressings have insufficient adhesion and require additional adhesives, which not only increases the risk of allergies, but may also have an adverse effect on wound healing.

Recently, scientists have gained inspiration from mussels. Mussels can firmly adhere to rocks by secreting an adhesive protein containing polyphenols. Drawing on this natural phenomenon, scientists have developed a new type of polyacrylic acid-grafted protocatechuic acid hydrogel dressing. This dressing not only has good mechanical properties, but also exhibits excellent adhesion on dry or wet skin surfaces.

The picture shows the characteristics and applications of the new dressing designed Source: Royal Society of Chemistry

The new dressing was prepared using a simple one-pot two-step polymerization strategy. First, polyamide-epichlorohydrin was used to graft protocatechuic acid onto polyacrylic acid. As a natural polyphenol, the catechol group of protocatechuic acid not only provides strong adhesion, but also gives the new dressing multiple functions such as antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

The experiment found that the new dressing has significant adhesion ability, and this ability can be further improved by extending the action time. In addition, the cyclic adhesion ability of the hydrogel is also very good. Even after the 21st cycle, the adhesion ability can still be restored by extending the residence time.

In terms of antioxidant and antibacterial properties, the new dressing showed excellent free radical scavenging ability and antibacterial properties. Cell activity experiments and wound healing assessments in animal models further confirmed the healing-promoting effect and good biocompatibility of the new dressing.

The success of this research not only brings an innovative solution to the field of wound healing, but also opens up new paths for future material science and biomedical research. With the further development and application of the new dressing, we have reason to believe that it will provide patients with a more comfortable and effective wound treatment experience, accelerate wound healing, and reduce the risk of pain and infection.