A Smart and Highly Porous Hydrogel for Diabetic Wound Healing

Abstract

Conventional hydrogels often suffer from poor mechanical strength, limited bioactivity, and uncontrolled therapeutic release, restricting their effectiveness in chronic wound healing. Here, a novel multifunctional hydrogel featuring a dual-crosslinked network of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and Gum Arabic (GA) designed for advanced diabetic wound healing is presented. This hydrogel integrates thermoresponsive behavior, controlled bioactive release, superior mechanical strength, strong tissue adhesion, and intrinsic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Unlike traditional systems, the PNIPAM-GA hydrogel leverages complementary hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions to achieve robust structural stability and tunable therapeutic delivery. The thermoresponsive transition enables temperature-triggered release of Gum Arabic, accelerating wound closure while minimizing infection risks. The tailored design of supramolecular interactions in hydrogels to enhance tissue adhesion and release of bioactive molecules represents a major advancement in wound healing technologies and provides a promising approach for next-generation wound care therapies.