Rhein-Integrated Extracellular Matrix-Mimetic Hydrogel for Accelerated Healing of Infected Wounds within 7 Days

Treating chronic wounds remains a significant challenge due to persistent bacterial infections, prolonged inflammation, and inadequate mechanical adaptability, all of which severely impede tissue repair. Despite significant advancements in wound care, existing wound dressings struggle to rapidly heal infected wounds due to their inability to simultaneously eradicate bacterial biofilms, modulate inflammation, and provide sufficient mechanical adaptability to dynamic wound environments. Here, we develop a novel egg white (EW)-based hydrogel reinforced with oxidized dextran (ODex) and Rhein to overcome these limitations. ODex forms a double network with EW protein via Schiff base reaction to facilitate keratinocyte and fibroblast attachment, proliferation, and migration, thus promoting re-epithelialization and tissue regeneration. The mechanical properties of the EW-based hydrogel were further improved by incorporating glycerol and metal ions (Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺), achieving a maximum compressive stress approximately 9 times that of the pristine EW hydrogel. To enhance the anti-inflammatory properties, the dissolution of Rhein was optimized by coordinating with a weak alkalinity gelling solution. Consequently, the biomacromolecule-dominated hydrogel demonstrates broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, along with significant anti-inflammatory effects. The infected wounds treated with our EW-based hydrogel achieve an impressive 95% healing within just 7 days, demonstrating its rapid and effective therapeutic potential in treating and managing bacterial-infected wounds.