Cobalt-mediated multi-functional dressings promote bacteria-infected wound healing

[Display omitted] Wound dressings with multiple functions are required to meet the complexity of the wound healing process. The multifunctionality often leads to an increase in the complexity and difficulty in dressing preparation. To surmount this problem, we used a facile preparation and fabrication process to fabricate a multi-functional dressing by integrating four widely accessible materials: plain gauze, sodium alginate (SA), Ca2+ and Co2+. Firstly, mixed Ca2+/Co2+ ion solutions with different concentration were applied to gauzes. After drying, SA solution was added to ionized gauze and Co2+-Ca2+/Gauze/SA (Ion-GSA) composite dressings were formed easily. In vitro results showed that all Ion-GSA dressings exhibited strong mechanical properties, uniform dispersion and sustained release of Ca2+ and Co2+, and the ability to retain moisture and absorb wound exudate. Besides the above advantages, dressings prepared with 0.25 g/L Co2+ and 4 g/L Ca2+ (Co2+0.25-Ca2+4 GSA composite dressings) exhibited the best overall effect for inducing a hypoxia-like response, and favorable cytocompatibility, hemostatic property and antibacterial activity. In vivo wound healing assays revealed that Co2+0.25-Ca2+4 GSA composite dressings inhibited bacterial growth, increased local Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) protein expression, and accelerated full-thickness skin wound healing in mouse bacterial-infected wound model. The quick healing wounds had improved angiogenesis, macrophages regulation, re-epithelialization and dense collagen deposition. Collectively, our results indicated that Co2+0.25-Ca2+4 GSA composite dressings promote wound healing. Wound dressings with integrated functionalities are required to meet complex clinical requirements. However, there is often a trade-off between reducing preparation complexity and increasing the multifunctionality of the dressing’s properties. In this study, we prepared multifunctional composite dressings by a facile preparation process using widely accessible materials. The composite dressings possessed the mechanical strength of gauze, had the effective wound exudate absorption, moisture maintenance and hemostatic property capacity of calcium alginate hydrogels, and had the hypoxia-like induction and the antimicrobial effects of Co2+. These functions all together promote bacteria-infected wound healing. Thus, we believed that the composite dre