Ultrafine Ru clusters with GOx enable glucose-activated cascaded reaction for bacterial-infected diabetic wound healing

The effective healing of diabetic wounds presents significant challenges, wherein antibacterial activity, oxygen (O2) supplement, and glucose consumption emerge as pivotal factors. Herein, we devise ultrafine Ru nanoclusters supported on an amorphous NiB alloy (Ru-NiB) as difunctional a nanozyme for bacterial-infected diabetic wound healing. The obtained Ru-NiB exhibited strong peroxidase (POD)- and catalase (CAT)-mimicking activities. When combined with the natural glucose oxidase (GOx), it drives a glucose-activated cascaded catalytic reaction for sustainable ROS and O2 generation, glucose consumption. The results demonstrate that the cascade system exhibits a potent antibacterial effect both in vitro and in vivo due to the sustainable ROS generation. Moreover, the cascade system has the potential to ameliorate hyperglycemia and hypoxic microenvironment in diabetic wounds through oxygen generation and glucose consumption, leading to a reduction in inflammation and enhancement of angiogenesis. The aforementioned effect synergistically enhances the healing process of diabetic wounds. This study successfully demonstrates the synergistic effect of ultralow noble metal loading and precise regulation of GOx dosage on the healing of diabetic wounds infected with bacteria, providing an effective strategy for treating diabetic wounds.