A Multifunctional Hydrogel Incorporating Luteolin-Encapsulated ROS-Responsive Nanoparticles and Stem Cells Promotes Bacterial-Infected Wound Healing

TL;DR

A new hydrogel combining luteolin nanoparticles and stem cells helps heal infected wounds by reducing inflammation and promoting tissue repair.

Contribution

A multifunctional hydrogel system integrating luteolin-loaded nanoparticles and ADSCs for enhanced wound healing.

Findings

GelCA@LUT@ADSCs reduced inflammation and promoted angiogenesis and collagen deposition.

The hydrogel accelerated wound healing by polarizing macrophages to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype.

The system showed excellent biocompatibility and sustained release of luteolin.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Wound healing represents a pervasive and urgent clinical challenge. Hard-to-heal chronic wounds are frequently complicated by infections, inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress. Currently, wound dressings are broadly categorized into dry and moist types, with moist wound dressings for chronic wounds accounting for approximately 70% of market revenue. Recently, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), which possess self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation capabilities, have emerged as a promising strategy for promoting tissue regeneration and wound repair. Methods: In this study, we developed a novel luteolin nanoparticle–ADSCs composite hydrogel (GelCA@LUT@ADSCs). This system was constructed by first encapsulating ADSCs within a chitosan/alginate hydrogel (GelCA), followed by coating the hydrogel with luteolin-loaded nanoparticles (LUT@NPs). Results: The sustained release of LUT@NPs from the hydrogel modulates the wound microenvironment, enhancing the pro-healing functions of ADSCs at the wound site. The GelCA hydrogel exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that GelCA@LUT@ADSCs treatment effectively reduced inflammation, promoted angiogenesis and collagen deposition, stimulated cell proliferation and migration, and polarized macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory, pro-healing M2 phenotype, thereby accelerating wound healing. Conclusions: Overall, this innovative therapeutic approach provides a novel strategy for wound management through a synergistic division of labor between pharmaceutical agents and stem cells.

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