The Bioactive Core and Corona Synergism of Quantized Gold Enables Slowed Inflammation and Increased Tissue Regeneration in Wound Hypoxia

Abstract

The progress of wound regeneration relies on inflammation management, while neovascular angiogenesis is a critical aspect of wound healing. In this study, the bioactive core and corona synergism of quantized gold (QG) were developed to simultaneously address these complicated issues, combining the abilities to eliminate endotoxins and provide oxygen. The QG was constructed from ultrasmall nanogold and a loosely packed amine-based corona via a simple process, but it could nonetheless eliminate endotoxins (a vital factor in inflammation also called lipopolysaccharides) and provide oxygen in situ for the remodeling of wound sites. Even while capturing endotoxins through electrostatic interactions, the catalytic active sites inside the nanogold could maintain its surface accessibility to automatically transform the overexpressed hydrogen peroxide in hypoxic wound regions into oxygen. Since the inflammatory stage is an essential stage of wound healing, the provision of endotoxin clearance by the outer organic corona of the QG could slow inflammation in a way that subsequently promoted two other important stages of wound bed healing, namely proliferation and remodeling. Relatedly, the efficacy of two forms of the QG, a liquid form and a dressing form, was demonstrated at wound sites in this study, with both forms promoting the development of granulation, including angiogenesis and collagen deposition. Thus, the simply fabricated dual function nanocomposite presented herein not only offers reduced batch-to-batch variation but also increased options for homecare treatments.