Silicified strontium-curcumin chelated nanospheres mitigate inflammatory vicious cycles to accelerate diabetic wound healing

In diabetic wounds, the overexpression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the imbalance of the immune microenvironment surrounding immune cells, such as macrophages, can trigger a vicious cycle of inflammation in the wound area, a key factor contributing to impaired wound healing. To effectively address this challenge, this study innovatively harnessed the chelation-synergistic effect between strontium (Sr) ions, which possess immune-regulating functions, and curcumin (Cur), which exhibits antioxidant properties, to develop and design silicified strontium-curcumin chelated nanospheres (Sr-Cur NPs) with dual functions of anti-ROS and immune regulation. Subsequently, these nanospheres were formulated into a composite hydrogel (Sr-Cur@Alg) using sodium alginate. Sr-Cur@Alg successfully blocks the inflammatory vicious cycle formed by macrophages and endothelial cells under diabetic pathological conditions through TLR4/MyD88/NF-кB pathway. Specifically, it prevents macrophages in the M1 polarization state from further inducing endothelial cells to secrete large amounts of ROS, while also blocking the adverse effects of endothelial cells in this state on the continuous M1 polarization of macrophages. This innovative strategy accelerates the healing of diabetic wounds, ultimately presenting a promising therapeutic avenue for their management.