Self-healed hydrogel containing carboxymethylated yeast β-(1→3)-glucan accelerates diabetic wound healing through pro-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory

Diabetic wound healing remains a clinical challenge worldwide, underscoring an urgent needed for diabetic wound dressings. In this study, a multifunctional hydrogel was fabricated using carboxymethylated yeast β-(1→3)-glucan, oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl chitosan as raw materials. Crosslinking of the raw materials was achieved through Schiff-base reaction and hydrogen bonding, endowing the hydrogel with promising injectable and self-healing properties. Biocompatibility evaluation demonstrated a low hemolysis rate of 1.47 % and a negligible effect on cell proliferation and migration. The hydrogel exhibited strong antioxidant effect, with DPPH clearance rate as high as 89.1 %. The bacteriostasis effect against S. aureus and E. coli was evaluated by a plate counting method. In a streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse model, hydrogel treatment improved the wound healing efficiency with a remaining wound area of 0.66 %. The wound tissues showed high content of collagen, obvious re-epithelialization, and newly formed blood vessels and hair follicles. The expression of biomarkers related to anti-inflammatory, angiogenesis, and macrophage polarization was significantly elevated. These findings confirm the promising wound healing effect of the hydrogel in diabetic mice.