Thermosensitive chitosan hydrogels have been widely used in drug delivery and tissue repair, but further applications of these hydrogels have been limited by their weak mechanical strength and poor bioactivity. A thermoresponsive hydrogel formed by conjugating recombinant human collagen-peptide (RHC) with chitosan might be better suited for cell encapsulation and wound repair. RHC-chitosan hydrogels were prepared and tested, and the results showed that moderate RHC conjugation led to hydrogels with lower gelation temperature. The prepared RHC-containing hydrogels showed superior mechanical strength to chitosan-only hydrogels. Additionally, cells exhibited superior viability when cultured with RHC-modified hydrogels compared with hydrogels that had not been conjugated with RHC. Finally, RHC-chitosan hydrogels were injected onto the backs of rats with second-degree burns and promoted cell infiltration, vessel formation, and wound healing. Overall, the use of RHC-chitosan hydrogels is a promising and effective therapeutic approach for burn wound treatment.
Keywords: Chitosan; EDC; Recombinant human collagen-peptide; Thermosensitive hydrogels; Wound healing.
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