Piezoelectric dual-network tough hydrogel with on demand thermal contraction and sonopiezoelectric effect for promoting infected joint skin wound healing via FAK and AKT signaling pathways

Abstract The dynamic infected wound repair of whole process management integrated with intelligent on demand wound closure and regulation of transformation from bactericidal to reparative phases is still a great challenge. This study develops a sonopiezoelectric effect-mediated on demand ROS release by incorporating piezoelectric barium titanate modified with gold nanoparticles (BTO@Au) and thermally responsive dual-network tough hydrogel dressing (UNMx/BAy) with a physical network structure based on ureidopyrimidinone (UPy)-modified gelatin (GU) crosslinked by multiple hydrogen bonds and a chemical network structure based on N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and methacryloyl gelatin (GMA) formed via radical polymerization. This hydrogel exhibits temperature-sensitive softening, on demand thermal contraction performance, high mechanical strength, good tissue adhesion, outstanding piezoelectricity, tunable sonopiezoelectric behavior, regulatable photothermal properties, and desirable biocompatibility. The tunable sonopiezoelectric effect enables the hydrogel to eliminate wound bacteria in the short term, and effectively promote human fibroblast proliferation and migration over the long term. The hydrogel dressing actively contracts to close wound edges and further promotes the healing of MRSA-infected skin defects in the neck of mice by promoting fibroblast migration, enhancing collagen deposition, and facilitating angiogenesis via up-regulating the FAK and AKT signaling pathways, providing a novel design strategy for developing dressings targeting chronic joint skin wounds.