Dextran based hydrogel wound dressing with cytocompatible, anti-protein and antibacterial properties for infected wound healing

Hydrogel wound dressings are a common strategy for cutaneous wound healing and show great potential in modern wound management. In this study, we present a material design strategy for the development of a multifunctional dextran-based hydrogel with excellent biocompatibility, adequate mechanical properties, antimicrobial properties and protection against protein adhesion. By modifying the chemical properties of the dextran-based hydrogel precursor, the preparation of hydrogels with different cross-linking densities was achieved, and the abundant three-dimensional pore network was shown to provide excellent solubility and high drug-loading properties. In addition, in vitro antimicrobial performance showed that the hydrogels were able to maintain their antimicrobial properties for up to six days. Furthermore, we verified that the hydrogel has excellent cytocompatibility and anti-protein adhesion properties through cell, anti-protein adsorption experiments and could be degraded without contamination under body fluid conditions. Finally, we verified that the hydrogel could significantly reduce wound healing time and effectively promote wound healing through an in vivo animal wound model. Therefore, dextran-based hydrogels are expected to be used as a novel biodegradable antimicrobial wound dressing in the medical field.