A transparent sericin-polyacrylamide interpenetrating network hydrogel as visualized dressing material

High transparent and biocompatible hydrogel dressing with bioactivity is attractive for clinical skin repair. Here we report a high optically transparent interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogel that was fabricated by sericin and polyacrylamide. The hydrogels possess pH-dependent degradation as well as high porosity and porous structures with different sized diameters and distribution. Moreover, the swelling behaviors, degradation dynamics, and mechanical strength can be flexibly regulated by adjusting the content of sericin. In addition, the hydrogel system is compatible with hosting cells owing to its excellent cell-adhesive capability, effectively promoting cell attachment, proliferation and long-term survival. Together, our study demonstrates that the sericin-polyacrylamide interpenetrating network hydrogel may serve as a visualized dressing material for real-time monitoring of wounds.