Smart bacteriophage release from bovine β-lactoglobulin fibrils based hydrogel with anti-MRSA, biofilm degradation and hair follicle regeneration functions for infected burn wound.

The emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria negatively impact the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating burn wound infections, which significantly hinders the healing process. To address this, a β-lactoglobulin fibrils/oxidized dextran/phage (BLGFs/ODEX/Phage) hydrogel dressing has been developed to treat burn wounds that are infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). First, a highly efficacious MRSA phage is isolated and purified, and it exhibits excellent bactericidal efficiency, storage stability, biofilm degradation ability, and biocompatibility. Then, a pH-responsive BLGFs/ODEX hydrogel is developed to load MRSA phage by utilizing a Schiff base reaction between BLGFs and ODEX. The hydrogel possesses excellent mechanical properties, self-healing ability, cell adhesion promotion, and biocompatibility. The results of burn wound model experiments indicate that the MRSA phages encapsulated within the hydrogel can be released in a controlled manner dependent on bacterial growth, effectively mitigating the accumulation of excessive bacterial toxins. Therefore, the BLGFs/ODEX/Phage hydrogel dressing would display superior abilities in regulating inflammation, promoting collagen deposition, facilitating angiogenesis, and enhancing hair follicle regeneration, thereby accelerating wound healing. Overall, this work demonstrates that the combination of bacteriophage therapy and hydrogel dressing would be a promising and innovative strategy for the treatment of infected burn wounds, presenting expansive prospects for clinical application.