Engineered Multifunctional Artificial Dermis for Infected Burn Wound Healing

Burn wound healing is a dynamic and interconnected process, with the complex status of the extracellular matrix (ECM) potentially leading to bacterial infections, drug resistance, or even fatality. However, it remains a grand challenge to assemble a skin-like material showing similar biological properties as healthy ECM to accelerate burn healing. In this study, the ECM composition is closely mimicked and adaptive multifunctional artificial dermis is developed by leveraging Ag─S bonds, supramolecular interactions among recombinant proteins, Ag⁺, and hyaluronic acid (HA). The artificial dermis exhibits long-lasting broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, achieved though controlled Ag⁺ release via Ag─S bonds, supramolecular interactions, and recombinant protein-guided multi-level assembly, reaching a steady plateau of 83.7% in the later stage. It is found that inflammation is reduced by downregulating IL-6 and TGF-β expression. Furthermore, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) within the recombinant proteins stimulates Col1α, ELN, and CD31 upregulation, facilitating ECM remodeling. These adaptive multifunctional artificial dermis effectively address wound infections, accelerate collagen deposition, promote re-epithelialization, and enhance angiogenesis in infected wounds, highlighting their potential to revolutionize burn wound treatment and offering a promising avenue to holistic care.