Injectable Peptide-Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Healed Chronic Diabetic Wounds by Slowly Releasing Curcumin

Researchers synthesized diphenylalanine conjugated with benzene (B), naphthalene (N), and pyrene (P) aromatic moieties. These were combined with hyaluronic acid via a one-pot reaction to form composite hydrogels. The hydrogels were characterized for structure (nanofiber morphology), mechanical properties, self-healing ability, and biocompatibility using human skin fibroblast cells. Curcumin drug release kinetics were measured. In vivo wound healing was tested in a streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic mouse model.

Diabetic foot ulcers and chronic wounds affect millions of patients worldwide and are a leading cause of amputations. Current wound care products often fail to provide sustained drug delivery in the challenging diabetic wound environment. This peptide-hyaluronic acid hydrogel addresses multiple challenges simultaneously: it's injectable (can fill irregular wound shapes), self-healing (maintains coverage), biocompatible, and provides sustained drug release. The ultrashort peptide design (just two amino acids) makes it potentially easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

Ultrashort peptides are an exciting class of biomaterials because they combine the biocompatibility of peptides with extreme simplicity of synthesis. The diphenylalanine (FF) motif is the shortest peptide known to self-assemble into nanostructures. By combining this with hyaluronic acid — itself a well-established wound healing ingredient — the researchers created a synergistic composite that is greater than the sum of its parts. This approach could be generalized to deliver various drugs for different wound types and chronic disease applications.

The study used a type I diabetic mouse model (streptozotocin-induced), which differs from the more common type II diabetes in humans. Specific wound closure rates, healing timepoints, and statistical comparisons were not detailed in the abstract. The curcumin drug loading and release kinetics were characterized but specific values were not reported. Long-term safety and degradation products were not assessed. Human clinical translation requires further validation.