Copper ions play an important role in several physiological processes, including angiogenesis, growth factor induction and extracellular matrix remodeling, that modulate wound healing and tissue repair. In this work, copper-loaded alginate fibers were generated and used as surgical sutures for repair of incisional wounds in live mice. Approximately 95% of initially loaded copper ions were released from the sutures within the first 24 h following an initial burst release. This localized delivery of copper at the incision site resulted in significantly higher recovery in tissue biomechanical strengths compared to conventional nylon and calcium alginate sutures at early times following surgery. Irradiation of copper alginate sutures with near-infrared light resulted in a robust photothermal response and led to efficacies similar to those seen with nonirradiated sutures. Histopathology and immunohistological analyses indicated significantly reduced epithelial gap and higher number of CD31+ cells, which is indicative of increased angiogenesis around the incision site. Delivery of copper ions did not result in toxicity under the conditions employed. Our findings demonstrate that delivery of ionic copper from sutures resulted in efficacious approximation and healing of incisional wounds, and copper-eluting fibers may have translational potential for accelerating repair in surgical and trauma wounds.
Keywords: alginate; angiogenesis; copper; skin; surgical site; tissue repair.