@article{Lu2025, 
author = {Hanzhi Lu and Mingrui Cui and Yi Wang and Xinran Du and Xinyi Zhou and Yuhan Fang and Xiaoyan Gao and Ying Peng and Jianyong Zhu and Guang Yang and Fulun Li},
title = {Protein-based functional hydrogel improves cutaneous nerve repair and diabetic wound healing},
year = {2025},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {18},
number = {1},
pages = {94907012},
keywords = {dynamic crosslinking, diabetic wounds, functional hydrogel, cutaneous nerve regeneration},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2025.94907012},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2025.94907012},
abstract = {Cutaneous nerve regeneration in diabetic wounds remains a challenge for current clinical treatment. Herein, a natural protein-based functional hydrogel is developed using keratin as the sole matrix, and protocatechuic aldehyde (PA) and zinc ions as the building blocks through dual-dynamic crosslinking reactions of thiol-aldehyde addition and catechol-zinc ions coordination. The unique structural design endows the hydrogel with excellent injectability, skin adhesion, self-healing and antibacterial ability, and biocompatibility. In addition, this hydrogel acts as a drug carrier for the loading and sustained release of phellopterin (PP), a natural compound extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Angelica dahurica. Our findings demonstrate that the PP-loaded hydrogel promotes cutaneous nerve regeneration, angiogenesis and tissue remodeling in the full-thickness wounds in both db/db and streptozotocin-induced C57BL/6 diabetic mice, notably by the synergistic effect of zinc ions and PP, showing a great potential in diabetic wound therapy.}
}