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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.

Sec. Antimicrobials, Resistance and Chemotherapy

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1550276

Exosome microsphere/nano silver loaded injectable antibacterial hydrogel augments anti-infection and healing for scald wound

Provisionally accepted
Rongkai  LiRongkai Li1Qinbing  QiQinbing Qi1Xiaojing  JiangXiaojing Jiang1Zhongfei  GaoZhongfei Gao1Xianrui  XieXianrui Xie1Yuqing  ZhaoYuqing Zhao1Xiaochen  ChengXiaochen Cheng2Chunhua  WangChunhua Wang1*Gui-Ge  HouGui-Ge Hou1*Chengbo  LiChengbo Li1*
  • 1Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
  • 2Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Infectious scald is recognized as a life-threatening concern in clinical due to easy infection and hard recovery. Exosomes possess cell migration, proliferation and angiogenesis under the containing rich growths factors, which may be a possibility for the treatment of scald chronic wounds. However, the instability and release issues of exosomes limits the storage and therapeutic efficacy. Herein, in this study, exosomes were successfully encapsulated calcium alginate microspheres, effectively avoiding the leakage and inactivation of exosomes. Meanwhile, composite hydrogel (HS-QAF-AgNPs) was fabricated with and quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (Q-CMC), aldehyde group-modified alginate (ASA) with assisted crosslinking of ferric ion and dopped nano silver (AgNPs). The incorporation of exo-CAMs into the hydrogel protects the exosomes from harsh environmental conditions and extends their diffusion time, thereby guaranteeing a better therapeutic effect. Q-CMC and AgNPs altogether endow the hydrogel system with an inherent antibacterial effect against pathogenic microorganisms. In vitro and in vivo investigations demonstrated that the HS-QAF-AgNPs hydrogel was cytocompatibility, possessed antibacterial and hemostatic properties, promoted cell migration and cell proliferation, stimulated angiogenesis, regulated inflammatory response, delayed apoptosis, enhanced collagen deposition and accelerated wound closure. Thus, the multifunctional HS-QAF-AgNPs hydrogel dressing is expected to be a promising candidate for the treatment of severe scalds. There is an urgent need to develop multifunctional wound dressings that can coordinate cell migration, proliferation, apoptosis, collagen formation and remodeling, alongside inflammation and angiogenesis to promote skin wound closure.

Keywords: Exosomes, microsphere, Nano sliver, antibacterial hydrogel, Scald treatment

Received: 23 Dec 2024; Accepted: 29 May 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Li, Qi, Jiang, Gao, Xie, Zhao, Cheng, Wang, Hou and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Chunhua Wang, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
Gui-Ge Hou, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China
Chengbo Li, Binzhou Medical University, Binzhou, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.