A novel wound dressing based on a gold nanoparticle self-assembled hydrogel to promote wound healing

Abstract

Wound infection and delayed healing not only have a serious impact on human health but also bring a huge economic burden. Therefore, it is particularly important to select an appropriate wound dressing for wound management. Herein, we elaborate the advantages of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) and a supramolecular hydrogel Nap-Phe-Phe-Tyr (NapFFY) in anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and wound healing applications, and design and prepare our new wound dressing Au@hydrogel. In vitro experiments confirmed that the new dressing had a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of E. coli and S. aureus, and had great cell biocompatibility, which can be safely used in clinical practice. The in vivo experimental results showed that during the 13-day experimental observation period, the combination of Au NPs and the hydrogel could significantly promote wound healing and shorten the wound healing time compared with the use of Au NPs or hydrogel alone. In addition, no obvious toxic or side effects of the dressing on rats were observed during the experiment, and it has great potential for clinical trials in the future. We hope that the combination of Au NPs and supramolecular hydrogels can provide a new strategy for promoting wound healing.