Mussel-inspired, antibacterial, conductive, antioxidant, injectable composite hydrogel wound dressing to promote the regeneration of infected skin

Infection is a major obstacle to wound healing. To enhance the healing of infected wounds, dressings with antibacterial activities and multifunctional properties to promote wound healing are highly desirable. Herein, gelatin-grafted-dopamine (GT-DA) and polydopamine-coated carbon nanotubes (CNT-PDA) were used to engineer antibacterial, adhesive, antioxidant and conductive GT-DA/chitosan/CNT composite hydrogels through the oxidative coupling of catechol groups using a H₂O₂/HRP (horseradish peroxidase) catalytic system. The addition of the antibiotic doxycycline endowed the hydrogels with antimicrobial activity to treat infected full-thickness defect wounds. Additionally, CNT-PDA endowed these hydrogels with an excellent photothermal effect, leading to good in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The catechol group and polydopamine imparted tissue adhesiveness, and the hemostatic and antioxidant abilities of these hydrogels were also investigated. The porosity, degradability, swelling, rheological, mechanical, and conductive behaviors of these hydrogels were finely regulated by changing the concentration of CNT-PDA. Hemolysis and cytocompatibility tests using L929 fibroblast cells confirmed the good biocompatibility of these hydrogels. The wound closure, collagen deposition, histomorphological examination and immunofluorescence staining results demonstrated the excellent effects of these hydrogels in an infected full-thickness mouse skin defect wound. In summary, the adhesive antibacterial and conductive GT-DA/chitosan/CNT hydrogels showed great potential as multifunctional bioactive dressings for the treatment of infected wounds.