A platelet-rich plasma-loaded chitosan-based hydrogel for promoting type 2 diabetes wound healing

Hard-healing or non-healing diabetic wounds feature complex pathogenesis, posing significant challenges to clinical treatment. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is rich in various growth factors and possesses significant therapeutic potential, while its clinical application is largely limited by the rapid release of these bioactive factors. In this study, a multifunctional hydrogel dressing (GACP@PRP) based on PRP was fabricated for the promotion of type 2 diabetes wound healing via the physical cross-linking of graphene oxide-silver nanoparticles (GO-Ag NPs), chitosan (CS), and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). The wound dressing possesses injectability, self-healing, favorable porosity, water absorption, moisture retention, adhesiveness, antibacterial, and hemostatic functionalities. Moreover, the GACP@PRP hydrogel protects PRP to sustain growth factors release, promote cell proliferation, and migration, which significantly accelerated wound healing rate in SD rats full-thickness skin defect model. Together with its great biocompatibility and biosafety, GACP@PRP meets the multiple functional requirements of diabetic wound dressing and is promising for clinical diabetic wounds management.