Wound dressing change facilitated by spraying zinc ions

Abstract

It is a tough task in the clinic to remove and refresh dressings. Inspired by the chemical structure of mussel adhesive proteins (MAP), an injectable dopamine (DOPA)-based adhesive hydrogel was constructed as a wound-healing dressing that could be easily replaced by spraying zinc ions. A hyperbranched polymer named HB-PBAE was synthesized by a Michael addition reaction between dopamine (DOPA), poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA700), and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA). The DOPA-based adhesive hydrogel was fabricated by mixing HB-PBAE, poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVI) and gelatin solution, followed by adding Fe³⁺. Intriguingly, spraying Zn²⁺ solution resulted in rapidly reduced adhesive strength and sharply increased strength. Importantly, the adhesive dressing reduced damage during changing the dressing in a rat wound bed and accelerated the wound-healing process. This metal ion-facilitated dressing change might provide a novel concept in the design of wound dressings.