A guanosine/konjac glucomannan supramolecular hydrogel with antioxidant, antibacterial and immunoregulatory properties for cutaneous wound treatment

Developing naturally-derived wound dressing materials with intrinsic therapeutic effects is desirable for the clinical applications. Recently, guanosine-based supramolecular G-quadruplex (G4) hydrogel exhibited great potential in preparing biological materials due to its simple fabrication method and responsive gel networks. However, the weak mechanical properties and the consequent burst release of bioactive molecules restrict its clinical applications. Herein, we found that konjac glucomannan (KGM) with immunoregulatory effect did not affect the self-assembly of G-quadruplexes and thus effectively enhancing the mechanical properties of G4 hydrogel. Aloin, as a model drug, was in situ loaded into gel networks, finally obtaining the G4/Aloin-KGM hydrogel. This hydrogel exhibited porous morphology, swelling ability and hemostatic capability. Boronate bonds in G4 networks and aloin collectively endowed the hydrogel with excellent antioxidant performance. Meanwhile, aloin also provided outstanding in vitro and in vivo bactericidal ability. The wounds treated with this biocompatible hydrogel demonstrated faster regeneration of epithelial and dermal tissues, and the whole wound healing stages were accelerated by promoting collagen deposition, facilitating macrophage polarization towards M2 phenotype, down-regulating the expression level of IL-6, and up-regulating the expression level of IL-10, CD31 and alpha-SMA.