Injectable Zn2+-Driven carrier-free hydrogel via self-assembly of natural small molecules for liver fibrosis therapy through concurrent autophagy activation and ferroptosis inhibition

complexes. Molecular profiling revealed that ASA Gel upregulated Atg9A and Atg101 in the liver, thereby promoting autophagosome formation, inhibiting P62 expression, and enhancing autophagic flux. Moreover, ASA Gel significantly promoted the expression of GPX4 and SLC7A11 genes, indicating that it inhibited the ferroptosis process in liver tissue. This work establishes a carrier-free hydrogel platform for spatiotemporally coordinated regulation of autophagy and ferroptosis in HSCs.