Custom-design of intrinsically antimicrobial polyurethane hydrogels as multifunctional injectable delivery systems for mini-invasive wound treatment

Development of PU foam dressings loaded with extract of Plectranthus amboinicus for burn wound healing

OBJECTIVE

To develop Plectranthus amboinicus extract loaded Polyurethane foam dressing for burn wound healing.

SIGNIFICANCE

Plectranthus amboinicus is traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing agent. Its incorporation in a PU foam dressing will offer the dual benefits of foam dressing as well as the healing potential of P. amboinicus.

METHODS

PU foam dressings were prepared and loaded with P. ambionicus leaf extract (PAE). The dressings were prepared with varying concentrations (0.5-2%) of extract along with Toluene diisocyanate, polypropylene glycol (PPG), and liquid paraffin. The dressings were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy and evaluated for Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate, absorption rate, porosity, and mechanical strength followed by in vivo burn wound-healing studies in comparison to a marketed dressing.

RESULTS

The MVTR was found to be optimum in formulations FD2-FD4 with values ranging from 2068.06 ± 0.99 to 2095.00 ± 0.25 g/m2/day. Absorption rate was found to be between 1.27 ± 0.01, 1.31 ± 0.00, and 1.30 ± 0.02 g/cm2 for formulations FD2-FD4. Formulations FD1, FD2, FD3, FD4 showed better porosity when compared to other formulations. Formulation FD4 was further characterized by micro-CT and a porosity of 46.32% was obtained. Tensile strength measurement indicated that the selected formulations were flexible enough to withstand regular handling during dressing changes. Acute dermal irritation performed on rabbits showed no irritation, erythema, eschar, and edema. In vivo wound-healing studies performed on albino wistar rats showed that the FD4 formulation has better wound healing property.

CONCLUSION

Plectranthus ambionicus-loaded PU foam dressing demonstrated promising burn wound-healing potential.

Thiol-Ene Photo-Click Hydrogels with Tunable Mechanical Properties Resulting from the Exposure of Different -Ene Moieties through a Green Chemistry

Temperature and light responsiveness are widely exploited stimuli to tune the physico-chemical properties of double network hydrogels. In this work, new amphiphilic poly(ether urethane)s bearing photo-sensitive moieties (i.e., thiol, acrylate and norbornene functionalities) were engineered by exploiting the versatility of poly(urethane) chemistry and carbodiimide-mediated green functionalization procedures. Polymers were synthesized according to optimized protocols maximizing photo-sensitive group grafting while preserving their functionality (approx. 1.0 × 10¹⁹, 2.6 × 10¹⁹ and 8.1 × 10¹⁷ thiol, acrylate and norbornene groups/g_polymer), and exploited to prepare thermo- and Vis-light-responsive thiol-ene photo-click hydrogels (18% w/v, 1:1 thiol:ene molar ratio). Green light-induced photo-curing allowed the achievement of a much more developed gel state with improved resistance to deformation (ca. 60% increase in critical deformation, γL). Triethanolamine addition as co-initiator to thiol-acrylate hydrogels improved the photo-click reaction (i.e., achievement of a better-developed gel state). Differently, L-tyrosine addition to thiol-norbornene solutions slightly hindered cross-linking, resulting in less developed gels with worse mechanical performances (~62% γL decrease). In their optimized composition, thiol-norbornene formulations resulted in prevalent elastic behavior at lower frequency compared to thiol-acrylate gels due to the formation of purely bio-orthogonal instead of heterogeneous gel networks. Our findings highlight that exploiting the same thiol-ene photo-click chemistry, a fine tuning of the gel properties is possible by reacting specific functional groups.

Gallium-Based Nanoplatform for Combating Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Postoperative Inflammation in Endophthalmitis Secondary to Cataract Surgery

Postcataract endophthalmitis (PCE), a devastating complication following cataract surgeries, is one of the most crucial diseases causing irreversible eye blindness. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), a multiple-drug-resistance (MDR) pathogen, always leads to uncontrolled infection and severe inflammation in PCE that can be difficult to treat by antibiotics. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new feasible strategies composed of both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory capabilities. Here, we report a multifunctional non-antibiotic nanoplatform (Ga-mSiO₂-BFN) comprised of clinically approved gallium, mesoporous silica, and bromfenac (BFN) as a co-modified release system to simultaneously eradicate MDR-PA infection and cure inflammation for PCE. The released gallium ions can disrupt bacterial iron metabolism. Meanwhile, the simultaneously released BFN can suppresses the inflammation both postoperation and postinfection of PCE. In the PCE rabbit model, the slit-lamp dispersion and retro-illumination micrograph, ophthalmic clinical grading, and etiological histopathology analysis demonstrated that Ga-mSiO₂-BFN could eradicate the MDR infection and alleviate the secondary inflammation from MDR-PA infection. Moreover, both cellular biocompatibility and in vivo animal model application verified the biocompatibility. A potential antibacterial mechanism implicated in the antibacterial action was demonstrated by comprehensive assays of iron antagonism evolutionary curve, colony autofluorescence, polymerase chain reaction, and electron microscopy, showing a repressing siderophore peptide pyoverdine, pyoverdine synthetase D, and interfering with bacterial DNA synthesis. All composites of our nanoplatform were FDA approved, making the Ga-mSiO₂-BFN as a potentially promising therapeutic approach for treating MDR-PA in PCE accompanying satisfactory prognosis and prospects for clinical translations.

Bilayer Hydrogels for Wound Dressing and Tissue Engineering

A large number of different skin diseases such as hits, acute, and chronic wounds dictate the search for alternative and effective treatment options. The wound healing process requires a complex approach, the key step of which is the choice of a dressing with controlled properties. Hydrogel-based scaffolds can serve as a unique class of wound dressings. Presented on the commercial market, hydrogel wound dressings are not found among proposals for specific cases and have a number of disadvantages—toxicity, allergenicity, and mechanical instability. Bilayer dressings are attracting great attention, which can be combined with multifunctional properties, high criteria for an ideal wound dressing (antimicrobial properties, adhesion and hemostasis, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects), drug delivery, self-healing, stimulus manifestation, and conductivity, depending on the preparation and purpose. In addition, advances in stem cell biology and biomaterials have enabled the design of hydrogel materials for skin tissue engineering. To improve the heterogeneity of the cell environment, it is possible to use two-layer functional gradient hydrogels. This review summarizes the methods and application advantages of bilayer dressings in wound treatment and skin tissue regeneration. Bilayered hydrogels based on natural as well as synthetic polymers are presented. The results of the in vitro and in vivo experiments and drug release are also discussed.

Double-Edged Nanobiotic Platform with Protean Functionality: Leveraging the Synergistic Antibacterial Activity of a Food-Grade Peptide to Mitigate Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens

While persistent efforts are being made to develop a novel arsenal against bacterial pathogens, the development of such materials remains a formidable challenge. One such strategy is to develop a multimodel antibacterial agent which will synergistically combat bacterial pathogens, including multidrug-resistant bacteria. Herein, we used pediocin, a class IIa bacteriocin, to decorate Ag° and developed a double-edged nanoplatform (Pd-SNPs) that inherits intrinsic properties of both antibacterial moieties, which engenders strikingly high antibacterial potency against a broad spectrum of bacterial pathogens including the ESKAPE category without displaying adverse cytotoxicity. The enhanced antimicrobial activity of Pd-SNPs is due to their higher affinity with the bacterial cell wall, which allows Pd-SNPs to penetrate the outer membrane, inducing membrane depolarization and the disruption of membrane integrity. Bioreporter assays revealed the upregulation of cpxP, degP, and sosX genes, triggering the burst of reactive oxygen species which eventually cause bacterial cell death. Pd-SNPs prevented biofilm formation, eradicated established biofilms, and inhibited persister cells. Pd-SNPs display unprecedented advantages because they are heat-resistant, retain antibacterial activity in human serum, and alleviate vancomycin intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) infection in the mouse model. In addition, Pd-SNPs wrapped in biodegradable nanofibers mitigated Listeria monocytogenes in cheese samples. Collectively, Pd-SNPs exhibited excellent biocompatibility and in vivo therapeutic potency without allowing foreseeable resistance acquisition by pathogens. These findings underscore new avenues for using a potent biocompatible nanobiotic platform to combat a wide range of bacterial pathogens.