Hyaluronan Scaffold Decorated with Bifunctional Peptide Promotes Wound Healing via Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory

The invasion of bacteria and inflammation impeded infected wounds heal. Here, a hyaluronan-based scaffold (HAG-<i>g</i>-C) was designed by cross-linking with gallic acid-modified gelatin to provide a protein microenvironment and decorated with cathelicidin-BF (CBF), a natural antimicrobial peptide, to remove bacterial infections and reverse the inflammatory environment. <i>In vitro</i>, HAG-<i>g</i>-C presented an antibacterial effect on <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>. Meanwhile, it could drive the phenotypic switch of macrophage from M1 to M2 to accelerate tissue remodeling. In a mouse model of <i>S. aureus</i>-infected total skin defects, HAG-<i>g</i>-C inhibited the process of infection at the beginning of the wound and then regulated the M1 macrophage transformed to M2 phenotype on day 12. In addition, HAG-<i>g</i>-C induced collagen deposition, and reduced the expression of TNF-α, thereby significantly accelerating the reconstruction of infected wounds.