Oxidativestress-scavenging thermo-activated MXene hydrogel for rapid repair of MRSA impaired wounds and burn wounds

Abstract

Rapid repair of complex skin injuries caused by multidrug-resistant bacterial infections or burn is still a challenge, due to the sustained bacterial colonization, high oxidative stress and severe inflammation. The development of efficient biomaterials strategy with precise bioactive functions is urgent in overcoming clinical challenge. In this study, we introduce a bioactive, multifunctional MXene (transition metal carbides and/or nitrides)-based hydrogel. This hydrogel, formed through the self-assembly of Ti₃C₂T_X MXene and poly(salicylic acid)-Pluronic F127-poly(salicylic acid) (FPSa@M), exhibited the precise capabilities for regulating thermo-antioxidation and anti-inflammatory environments. FPSa@M exhibited the injectability, rapid gelation, electrical conductivity, and beneficial antioxidant and photothermal effects. The photothermal temperature-adjustable FPSa@M hydrogel effectively achieved complete photothermal eradication of high concentrations of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Additionally, FPSa@M hydrogel significantly impacted the multiple cellular behaviors, stimulating proliferation, scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), reducing inflammatory factor expression, promoting human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) migration and tubule-forming activity of HUVECs. In the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected or burn wound model, FPSa@M could efficiently eradicate bacterial infection, remodel the microenvironment of oxidative stress and inflammation in wound healing through activating the heat shock protein 90 and angiogenesis, thus significantly promote the wound repair. This work suggests that thermo-antioxidation activated biomaterials probably hold significant promise for addressing extensive complex tissue defects resulting from multidrug-resistant bacterial infections or burns.