A conductive polypyrrole-based thermosensitive hydrogel dressing incorporating rhPDGF-BB for enhanced diabetic wound healing

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are chronic complications of diabetes characterized by impaired healing due to poor angiogenesis and fibroblast dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate a novel thermosensitive, conductive hybrid dressing composed of PEI-polypyrrole-Pluronic F127 loaded with recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (rhPDGF-BB) for enhancing diabetic wound healing. We developed a conductive PEI-polypyrrole-based hydrogel incorporating rhPDGF-BB. Physicochemical properties, rheology, and electrical conductivity were characterized. Biocompatibility and cell migration were evaluated using human dermal fibroblasts (CCD966SK) and epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT). In vivo wound healing efficacy was evaluated in a diabetic mouse dorsal wound model. The hydrogel exhibited body-temperature-triggered gelation and promoted fibroblast proliferation. In vitro scratch assays showed the hybrid dressing significantly enhanced cell migration. In vivo diabetic wound model, the hybrid dressing significantly accelerated wound closure (p < 0.0001), achieving results comparable to Regranex gel while using only 1/200th of the rhPDGF-BB dose. Histological analysis revealed increased collagen deposition and angiogenesis in treated wounds. These findings highlight the innovative and efficient therapeutic potential of incorporating rhPDGF-BB into a polypyrrole-PF127-based hybrid conductive dressing. This approach not only accelerates diabetic wound healing, also addresses a critical gap in existing treatment strategies, offering a promising solution for chronic DFUs.