Metal-phenolic-imidazole network coated microspheres for growth factor delivery to enhance wound healing

• Multifunctional Zn-MOF microspheres integrate antibacterial and regenerative roles. • Dopamine chemistry provides bioinspired adhesion, stabilizing microspheres on wounds. • Zn-MOF coating integrates antibacterial defense with sustained VEGF delivery. Effective wound healing depends on the sustained release of growth factors and the establishment of an antimicrobial microenvironment. To address the functional limitations of conventional hydrogel microspheres, we have developed a multifunctional microsphere system (GZMS@VEGF) that enables the controlled delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) through dopamine hydrochloride-mediated interface modification and Zn-based MOF (Zn-MOF) coating. In vitro experiments showed that GZMS@VEGF enhanced the migration and tube formation ability of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells, and the migration rate was about 2-fold that of the control group, and the tube formation ability was increased by 1.5-fold. In vivo experiments showed that GZMS@VEGF accelerated wound healing in the full-thickness skin of mice, and the wound closure rate was about 1.3-fold higher than that of the control group at day 12. This effect was accompanied by a 2-fold increase in neovascularization density and an approximately 2-fold decrease in levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α). These results suggest that GZMS@VEGF provides a material strategy with translational potential for infectious wound therapy through its antibacterial, proangiogenic, and anti-inflammatory synergistic effects.