Easy cancer recurrence and wound infections have been clinical challenges after surgical treatment of melanoma. Herein, a silk‐inspired in situ gelation system containing methacrylated silk fibroin (SF) and chlorine e6 for improved cancer therapy with enhanced wound healing is developed. Favored by the macrophage recruitment capacity of the SF hydrogel, promising antitumor immune responses can be turned “on” via near infrared irradiation in a controllable manner to achieve combination therapy with photodynamic therapy to significantly suppress melanoma recurrence. Moreover, the effective photodynamic antibacterial activity of this bioactive system with the capacity of light‐controllable modulating macrophage phenotype promotes remarkable tissue ingrowth with hair follicle regeneration for Staphylococcus aureus infected wound healing. Thus, this multifunctional silk‐based hydrogel system, as a desirable wound dressing, provides a new platform for promising melanoma therapy and skin regeneration.
By combination of alginate/polyacrylamide/chitosan, tough antibacterial hydrogels are designed for applications as tissues adhesives to promote wound healing.
A lack of effective bioactivity to
create a desirable microenvironment
for peripheral nerve regeneration has been challenging in successful
treatment of long-distance injuries using nerve guidance conduits
(NGCs) clinically. Herein, we developed a silk-inspired phototriggered
gelation system combining dual therapeutic cues of anisotropic topography
and adhesive ligands for improving peripheral nerve regeneration.
Importantly, enhanced cell recruitment and myelination of Schwann
cells were successfully achieved by the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-peptide-immobilized
hydrogel scaffolds to promote axon growth. Moreover, as the orientated
growth of Schwann cells and rapid axon growth were facilitated by
aligned grooved micropatterns, this multifunctional bioactive system
provides remarkable nerve regeneration with function recovery for
long-distance nerve injury. Therefore, this bioengineered silk-inspired
nerve guidance conduit delivers a platform for desirable peripheral
nerve repair.
Successful repair of long-distance peripheral nerve injuries remains a challenge in the clinic. Rapid axon growth is a key to accelerate nerve regeneration. Herein, a pure silk fibroin (SF) hydrogel with a combination of high-strength and aligned microgrooved topographic structure is reported. The hydrogels exhibit excellent mechanical properties with high strength. Good biocompatibility also allows the hydrogels to support cell survival. Significantly, the hydrogel with aligned microgrooved structures enables the aligned growth of Schwann cells. Moreover, the hydrogel holds a strong capacity for promoting axon growth and guiding neurite sprouting. Thus, this micropatterned SF hydrogel would have great potential for peripheral nerve regeneration.
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