Fast Hemostatic, Antimicrobial Multifunctional Gelatin-Based Hydrogel Dressing Loading Bifunctional Cu/ZIF-8 for Accelerated Wound Healing

The moist wound environment of the human body immediately following injury is highly susceptible to microbial colonization and subsequent infection, potentially triggering a prolonged inflammatory response. Existing dressings tend to be more monofunctional, making it difficult to cope with wound bleeding and bacterial growth at the same time. The development of more effective wound dressings is a critical priority in contemporary wound care. In this study, we developed a hydrogel wound dressing comprising two components: (1) antimicrobial particles of curcumin (Cur)-loaded bimetallic organic framework (Cu/ZIF-8), and (2) a carrier hydrogel formed by methacryloylated gelatin (GelMA) cross-linked with methacryloylated hyaluronic acid (HAMA). The experimental results confirmed the successful loading of curcumin with 45.6% for Cu/ZIF-8@Cur. In addition, the material exhibits pH-responsive behavior, excellent biocompatibility (>80% cell survival), low hemolytic activity (<5%), and potent antimicrobial activity (≥99%) against E. coli and S. aureus. It is stable under neutral conditions and releases bactericidal particles under bacterial infection (in an acidic environment) to achieve sterilization. This study addresses the limitations of gelatin-based dressings, such as inadequate hemostatic capacity and weak antimicrobial performance, and it demonstrates promising potential for clinical translation.