Temporally-programmed ROS modulation via a self-adaptive electrospun nanofiber for diabetic wound healing

Background
High-glucose wound beds often face a tangled mix of infection, lingering inflammation, poor oxygen supply, and weak vessel growth. ROS is double-edged. Too little early on fails to clear pathogens; too much later damages tissue and keeps inflammation alive. Traditional dressings mostly cover passively. They cannot sense stage changes or tune ROS on demand, and they rarely combine glucose lowering, oxygen support, and vessel growth. The key targeted direction is a dressing that reads the wound state and switches ROS production and scavenging at the right time.

Innovation
This work turns electrospun nanofibers into a microenvironment-responsive platform. After soaking up exudate, the fibers change into a 3D hydrogel network that sticks to skin. In the infected acidic stage, it starts a GOx/POD-like cascade to make ROS, while NIR light adds heat. This targets biofilms and bacteria and helps lower local glucose. As infection fades and pH rises, it switches to a SOD/CAT-like cascade, clearing excess ROS and generating oxygen in place. That shift supports macrophage M2 polarization, endothelial migration, and vessel-like network formation. The result is a time-programmed ROS switch aimed at the changing wound niche.

Material Study
The material starts with gallic acid and copper ions self-assembling into GC nanozymes. These show pH-switchable POD-, CAT-, and SOD-like activities plus photothermal conversion. β-cyclodextrin-encapsulated GOx and GC are then co-loaded into silk fibroin/polyvinyl alcohol fibers by electrospinning, giving GC/G NF. Multiple hydrogen bonds form a dual-network. The mat absorbs fluid fast, adheres to tissue, and gels stably. C, N, O, and Cu are evenly distributed. Fiber diameter is about 171 nm. Under NIR, temperature reaches about 55°C. This gives a material basis for staged, targeted modulation of the wound microenvironment.

Disclaimer: This is only a frontier update sharing, not any related advice.

#ROSregulation #Electrospinning #NanofiberHydrogel #Nanozyme #Microenvironment #DiabeticWound #Biofilm #Angiogenesis #ResearchFrontier