Fabrication of Bacterial Cellulose-Based Dressings for Promoting Infected Wound Healing

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c06986
• Publication Date: 2021-07-06T13:49:49Z
• Authors: Fazli Wahid; Xiang-Jun Zhao; Xue-Qing Zhao; Xiao-Fang Ma; Na Xue; Xiao-Zhi Liu; Feng-Ping Wang; Shi-Ru Jia; Cheng Zhong
• Keywords: Male; Staphylococcus aureus; Wound Healing; Indoles; Polymers; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; 02 engineering and technology; Bandages; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Rats; 3. Good health; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Mice; Escherichia coli; NIH 3T3 Cells; Wound Infection; Animals; Polylysine; Staphylococcal Skin Infections; Cellulose; 0210 nano-technology; Skin

Bacterial cellulose (BC) holds several unique properties such as high water retention capability, flexibility, biocompatibility, and high absorption capacity. All these features make it a potential material for wound healing applications. However, it lacks antibacterial properties, which hampers its applications for infectious wound healings. This study reported BC-based dressings containing ε-polylysine (ε-PL), cross-linked by a biocompatible and mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) for promoting infectious wound healing. BC membranes were coated with PDA by a simple self-polymerization process, followed by treating with different contents of ε-PL. The resulted membranes showed strong antibacterial properties against tested bacteria by both in vitro and in vivo evaluations. The membranes also exhibited hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility by in vitro investigations. Moreover, the functionalized membranes promoted infected wound healing using Sprague-Dawley rats as a model animal. A complete wound healing was observed in the group treated with functionalized membranes, while wounds were still open for control and pure BC groups in the same duration. Histological investigations indicated that the thickness of newborn skin was greater and smoother in the groups treated with modified membranes in comparison to neat BC or control groups. These results revealed that the functionalized membranes have great potential as a dressing material for infected wounds in future clinical applications.