Guiding the Path to Healing: CuO₂‐Laden Nanocomposite Membrane for Diabetic Wound Treatment

Abstract

Diabetic chronic wounds pose significant clinical challenges due to their characteristic features of impaired extracellular matrix (ECM) function, diminished angiogenesis, chronic inflammation, and increased susceptibility to infection. To tackle these challenges and provide a comprehensive therapeutic approach for diabetic wounds, the first coaxial electrospun nanocomposite membrane is developed that incorporates multifunctional copper peroxide nanoparticles (n‐CuO2). The membrane's nanofiber possesses a unique “core/sheath” structure consisting of n‐CuO2+PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidone)/PCL (Polycaprolactone) composite sheath and a PCL core. When exposed to the wound's moist environment, PVP within the sheath gradually disintegrates, releasing the embedded n‐CuO2. Under a weakly acidic microenvironment (typically diabetic and infected wounds), n‐CuO2 decomposes to release H2O2 and Cu2+ ions and subsequently produce ·OH through chemodynamic reactions. This enables the anti‐bacterial activity mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), suppressing the inflammation while enhancing angiogenesis. At the same time, the dissolution of PVP unveils unique nano‐grooved surface patterns on the nanofibers, providing desirable cell‐guiding function required for accelerated skin regeneration. Through meticulous material selection and design, this study pioneers the development of functional nanocomposites for multi‐modal wound therapy, which holds great promise in guiding the path to healing for diabetic wounds.

Novel Biomaterials for Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration

“…The design of an electrospinning device is of great significance to the structure and properties of nanofibers. The commonly used devices are emulsion electrospinning, roller electrospinning, coaxial electrospinning, and so on. − Coaxial electrostatic spinning can be used to fabricate nanofibers with core–shell or hollow structures. The core–shell structure may be effective in preventing the burst release of drugs, which will be beneficial for conducting the next step of drug-measured release studies. − Besides, covalent polymer grafting, plasma treatment, and ionized jet deposition techniques can be used for drug loading to achieve controlled drug release. , The structure of nanofibers prepared by electrostatic spinning is also inextricably linked to the collector.…”