A Distinctive Nanocomposite Hydrogel Integrated Platform for the Healing of Wound after the Resection of Melanoma

Abstract During the surgical removal of melanoma, that the incompletely eradicated cancer cells enter the circulatory system with blood flow will lead to the risk of distant metastasis and then the recurrence of postoperative residual tumor, which will greatly reduce the cure rate. Additionally, microbial resistance makes the problem of infection more serious during the process of defect repair. Considering these problems, we developed a nanocomposite hydrogel (Gel/PF127) with excellent mechanical properties, hemostasis and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. It was used for the dual release system based on micelles and hydrogel used for maintaining long-term release of paclitaxel (PTX) at the wound site after melanoma surgery, thereby killing residual tumor cells and repairing tissue defects better. The results showed that PF127 nano micelles could effectively load PTX and release it in tumor environment. Moreover, the quaternary ammonium gel network showed excellent growth inhibition for E. coli and S. aureus (inhibition rate up to 98%). The introduction of Ca2+ endowed the gel with the excellent hemostatic effect. The combination of reversible chemical bonds and electrostatic interaction made Gel/PF127 have good mechanical stability, excellent tissue adhesion and self-healing properties. The experimental results showed that such nanocomposite hydrogel could stop bleeding quickly and avoid wound infection, induce apoptosis of tumor cells and inhibit their recurrence very effectively, thus suggesting that the construction of in situ chemotherapy platform which integrates trauma repair and tumor inhibition will greatly promote the recurrence inhibition and trauma repair of melanoma. At the same time, it provides a simple and efficient strategy for other cancer postoperative wound healing.