Multifunctional deer antler decellularized hydrogel provides a new synergistic therapeutic strategy for diabetic wounds
image: Deer antlers were decellularized to obtain dECM, which was synthesized into a hydrogel with ODEX via Schiff base reaction, and then loaded with Mg-EGCG to obtain Mg-EGCG@dECMH. Mg-EGCG@dECMH hydrogel promotes diabetic wound healing through synergistic effects on antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and angiogenic activities.
Credit: Nano research, Tsinghua University Press
Managing wounds in diabetic patients is a highly challenging clinical task that often leads to severe complications, such as chronic pain, infection, and even amputation. The wound healing process is hindered by a complex pathological microenvironment characterized by bacterial infection, persistent inflammation, and poor vascularization. Although various advanced dressings exist, it remains challenging to address these multiple issues in a coordinated manner.
A research team led by Professor Baoguo Li from Northwestern University has developed an innovative solution: a multifunctional, self-healing hydrogel dressing that utilizes the unique regenerative properties of deer antler. The research findings were published in the journal Nano Research. Their study demonstrates that this innovative material application can synergistically address key obstacles in the healing of diabetic wounds.
The team’s innovation lies in its multi-component design. First, they constructed a biomimetic scaffold from decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) derived from deer antler – a tissue renowned for its rapid, complete regenerative capacity. The dECM retains abundant active components, such as collagen, growth factors, and polysaccharides, while removing immunogenic components, and naturally possesses significant potential for guiding tissue repair and regeneration. This dECM, rich in pro-regenerative components, was dynamically cross-linked to form a foundational hydrogel (dECMH) with self-healing and injectable properties.
To further enhance the therapeutic effect of the dressing, the researchers embedded magnesium-epigallocatechin gallate (Mg-EGCG) metal-organic frameworks into the hydrogel network, creating the composite material Mg-EGCG@dECMH. This enables the sustained synergistic release of two key therapeutic agents: epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a potent natural compound with antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, and magnesium ions, which actively promote cell proliferation and vascular regeneration.
“In this study, our goal was to create a comprehensive healing environment for diabetic wounds,” said Professor Baoguo Li, a corresponding author of the study and a professor at Northwestern University. “Our hydrogel is not just a passive covering. It actively fights infection, calms excessive inflammatory responses, clears harmful reactive oxygen species, and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels – all critical steps in treating diabetic wounds.”
Such an innovative performance underwent rigorous testing. In vitro experiments confirmed its excellent biocompatibility, potent antibacterial activity against common pathogens such as E. coli and S. aureus, and its ability to promote endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation—key processes in angiogenesis. Furthermore, it effectively mitigated oxidative stress and promoted macrophage polarization toward the pro-healing M2 phenotype, thereby helping alleviate inflammation.
The most compelling evidence came from in vivo studies on diabetic mice. Wounds treated with the Mg-EGCG@dECMH hydrogel healed significantly faster than those in control groups or groups treated with single components. This composite hydrogel promoted rapid resolution of inflammation, orderly collagen deposition, and robust neovascularization, leading to complete epithelial regeneration within 14 days.
“This synergistic effect is evident,” added a co-author, Lei Yang, from the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences. “The deer antler dECM provides a natural and bioactive scaffold for tissue regeneration, while the integrated Mg-EGCG nanocomplex within the hydrogel continuously improves the wound microenvironment through optimized three-dimensional spatial distribution and sustained release properties. The combined effect is stronger than that of any single component.”
The hydrogel also demonstrated strong hemostatic (bleeding control) capability and could be easily injected to adapt to irregular wound shapes, enhancing its clinical practicality. The researchers concluded that this multifunctional dressing offers an innovative and effective strategy for diabetic wound management, holding significant potential for future clinical translation.
Other contributors include Yuli Li, Rui Liang, Li He, Chunyu Su, and Yijia Yuan from the School of Life Science at Northwest University in Xi’an, China; Ruliang Pan from the University of Western Australia, Australia, and Yikun Ju from the Department of Plastic and Aesthetic (Burn) Surgery of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University.
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32300413, 32371563); the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province (2023-JC-QN-0206); the Shaanxi Fundamental Science Research Project for Chemistry & Biology (22JHQ037); and the National Key R&D Program of China (2024YFF1307302).
About Nano Research
Nano Research is a peer-reviewed, open access, international and interdisciplinary research journal, sponsored by Tsinghua University and the Chinese Chemical Society, published by Tsinghua University Press on the platform SciOpen. It publishes original high-quality research and significant review articles on all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology, ranging from basic aspects of the science of nanoscale materials to practical applications of such materials. After 18 years of development, it has become one of the most influential academic journals in the nano field. Nano Research has published more than 1,000 papers every year from 2022, with its cumulative count surpassing 7,000 articles. In 2024 InCites Journal Citation Reports, its 2024 IF is 9.0 (8.7, 5 years), and it continues to be the Q1 area among the four subject classifications. Nano Research Award, established by Nano Research together with TUP and Springer Nature in 2013, and Nano Research Young Innovators (NR45) Awards, established by Nano Research in 2018, have become international academic awards with global influence.