A biomietic filamentous hydrogel with enhanced bacteria contact and bactericidal efficiency for the treatment of various skin infections

Tian, Y. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5750-5817, Zhang, R., Zhao, X., Hamley, I. W. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4549-0926, Xiao, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7936-4146 and Chen, L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7922-0599 (2026) A biomietic filamentous hydrogel with enhanced bacteria contact and bactericidal efficiency for the treatment of various skin infections. Biomaterials, 330. 123968. ISSN 1878-5905 doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123968

Abstract/Summary

Antimicrobial hydrogels that can effectively eliminate microorganisms to accelerate wound healing have demostrated great potential in managing wound infections. However, conventional hydrogel dressings have limited contact with bacteria due to their permemnent cross-linked structure, thereby reducing their bactericidal efficiency. To address this issue, we designed and prepared a neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) biomimetic antibacterial hydrogel (PETP gel) with enhanced bacteria contact and bactericidal efficiency through Schiff base crosslinking of antibacterial polymer PETP-NH2 and phenylboronic acid functionalized oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA-PBA). The obtained PETP gel exhibited a NETs-mimicking dynamic filamentous network structure, which, in combination with the interaction between phenylboronic acid in OHA-PBA and lipopolysaccharides in bacterial surface, ultimately led to enhanced bacteria contact and bactericidal efficiency. In vivo experiments showed that PETP gel could accelerate healing in treatment of purulent subcutaneous infection, full-thickness wound infection, and deep second-degree burn infection, showing promising use as an antibacterial care dressing.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/127928
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123968
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy > Department of Chemistry
Publisher	Elsevier
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