Wound management faces persistent challenges including bacterial infections, tissue adhesion, and impaired vascularization. Conventional gauzes provide limited protection, while silver-based antimicrobial dressings pose toxicity risks and environmental concerns.
Addressing these limitations, a multi-institutional Chinese research team has developed PPCZ@Gauze – a novel nanoengineered dressing that synergistically combines antibacterial, anti-adhesive, and pro-angiogenic functions. This breakthrough was co-first authored by Guifeng Sun, Qian Wang, and Zhou Zhang, with corresponding authors Xing Liu, Chunbiao Wu, Zhenhua Zhou, and Hao Wang and published in Nano Research.
PPCZ@Gauze is fabricated through a scalable dip-coating process where medical gauze is sequentially functionalized with phytate (PA), ε-polylysine (Ply), curcumin (Cur), and zinc ions (Zn²⁺).
Each component contributes distinct therapeutic properties:
- ε-Polylysine (FDA GRAS-approved) disrupts bacterial membranes
- Phytate enables metal ion chelation and stabilization
- Curcumin provides antioxidant/anti-inflammatory activity
- Zinc ions activate VEGF-mediated angiogenesis pathways
- Comprehensive testing demonstrated exceptional performance:
Antibacterial Action: Achieved >99% elimination of S. aureus and E. coli within 4 hours. SEM imaging confirmed membrane disruption in treated bacteria；
Anti-Adhesion Properties: Hydrophobic curcumin modification significantly increased the water contact angle, markedly reducing blood cell adhesion compared to controls.
Healing Acceleration: In murine wound models, PPCZ@Gauze significantly accelerated epithelial migration compared to conventional gauze. Collagen density increased, while TNF-α and IL-6 expression was substantially reduced.
Pro-Angiogenic Effects: Immunofluorescence analysis for CD31 and α-SMA confirmed enhanced neovascularization, a critical process for nutrient delivery during wound healing.
Advantages over commercial silver dressings
PPCZ@Gauze offers significant economic and safety advantages over commercial silver dressings. For instance, while the premium silver dressing Atrauman® Ag costs ≈98,000 CNY/m² and ordinary medical gauze is priced at 6.25 CNY/m², PPCZ@Gauze is manufactured at a cost of only ≈33.33 CNY/m².
This substantial cost reduction (compared to silver dressings) is achieved while completely avoiding the toxicity concerns associated with silver. Furthermore, the roll-to-roll manufacturing process enables efficient large-scale production, and compatibility with standard sterilization methods (autoclaving, ethylene oxide, UV) ensures seamless clinical integration.
“PPCZ@Gauze represents a paradigm shift in wound management,” noted corresponding author Hao Wang. “We’re initiating industrial partnerships for GMP production and planning clinical trials for diabetic ulcers and burn applications.” The technology holds particular promise for battlefield medicine where rapid, infection-resistant wound coverage is critical.
Funding was provided by Shanghai Special Project on Artificial Intelligence Facilitating the Reform of Scientific Research Paradigms to Empower Disciplinary Advancement (No. Z-2024-114-022), the Horizontal Project of Fuzhou Water Quality Monitoring Co., Ltd. (No. H-2025-312-012), the General Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82073266), Science and Technology Research Project of Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education (No. GJJ2201639), and the Doctoral Research Start-up Fund Project of Jinggangshan University (No. JZB2117).
No comments yet