A curcumin-infused dual-network hydrogel for management of radiation skin injuries

Radiation skin injury (RSI) is a common side effect of radiation therapy for cancer patients, and bacterial infection at the RSI site usually hinders the healing process of the radiation skin injury, thus affecting the subsequent treatment regimen of the patient. To address this issue, we developed a dual network hydrogel containing the natural phenolic antioxidant curcumin. The hydrogel possesses good mechanical and swelling properties to effectively isolate radioactive skin wounds from the external environment, while curcumin released from the hydrogel can effectively inhibit bacterial infections in RSI. In addition, curcumin is able to regulate intracellular redox balance by affecting GSH transferase homologs in cell membranes, thereby reducing the inflammatory response at the wound site. The synergistic effect of antibacterial/anti-inflammatory action produced by the hydrogel effectively accelerates the rate of healing of RSI, providing valuable insights into the clinical management of radiation dermatitis.