Accelerated Diabetic Wound Healing via Electrical and Oxidative Microenvironment Regulation by MXene Nanosheet-Based Hydrogel Dressings

Diabetic wound repair remains a critical challenge due to the oxidative, inflammatory microenvironments as well as the impaired cellular functions. Inspired by the endogenous electroactivity of skin tissue, conductive hydrogel dressings are promising candidates for skin tissue engineering. This study proposes a strategy for accelerating diabetic wound repair by simultaneously regulating electrical and oxidative microenvironments with a conductive nanocomposite hydrogel dressing. This dual-function hydrogel is developed by integrating MXene nanosheets into a gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) matrix, followed by a second physical cross-linking with tannic acid (TA) (referred to as GMT). GMT exhibits adequate adhesiveness, skin tissue-matching mechanical properties, and electroconductivity as well as satisfactory antioxidant properties. In vitro, GMT protects fibroblasts from oxidative-stress-induced damage and restores their inhibited proliferation and migration capacities under inflammatory conditions. Based on the in vivo diabetic skin defect model, we further demonstrate that the GMT hydrogel can alleviate chronic inflammation, enhance angiogenesis, and promote collagen deposition to accelerate wound healing through its dual-regulation synergy. Overall, GMT is a promising therapeutic material that significantly accelerates diabetic wound repair in vitro and in vivo by improving the electrical and oxidative microenvironments, providing a route toward diabetic wound management.