Injectable antibacterial hydrogels based on oligolysines for wound healing

Generally, oligolysine has poor antibacterial effect and almost no antibacterial activity. Herein, low cost and easily available oligolysines were chosen to prepare injectable antibacterial hydrogel (PVAL-gel) for wound healing. The hydrogel network was formed by cross-linking vanillin acrylate-N, N-dimethylacrylamide copolymer P(VA-co-DMA), oligolysine and adipate dihydrazide through Schiff base bond. The obtained hydrogel PVAL-gel exhibited not only excellent self-healing capability and injectability, but also the efficient contact antibacterial ability and good inhibitory effects on E.coli and S.aureus. In vitro, 99.9 % of pathogenic bacteria was killed within 160 min. Furthermore, the injectable PVAL-gel could rapidly eradicate bacteria in infected wounds and notably enhance the healing of full-thickness skin wounds. Therefore, PVAL-gel is expected to be used as a high-end dressing for the treatment of infected skin wounds, which can promote wound healing.