Fast Wound Healing with a New Functional Hyaluronic Acid Dual Network Hydrogel

As dressings for moist wound healing, hyaluronic acid hydrogels play a significant role in maintaining moisture and promoting wound healing. However, existing hydrogel dressings are inadequate in terms of slow gelation time, weak mechanical performance, and fast degradation, which increases the risk of secondary infections during treatment. Therefore, we developed a hyaluronic acid double network hydrogel (DNH). Compared to single-network hydrogels (hydrazone and Diels-Alder), DNH shows a short gelation time (25 s) and strong mechanical properties (Young's modulus = 82 kPa). These advantages enable DNH to immediately fill the irregular shape of the wound after gelation and remain intact after being squeezed. Swelling tests indicated that DNH had a suitable swelling ratio and maintained its structural integrity after swelling. We evaluated the use of DNH as a moist dressing for full-thickness wound healing in vivo. DNH-treated wounds healed faster, with enhanced blood vessel formation and macrophage polarization than gauze-treated wounds. These findings suggest that DNH not only accelerates wound healing but also improves tissue regeneration. Therefore, DNH may be a suitable moist dressing for wound healing.