Environmentally friendly polylysine gauze dressing for an innovative antimicrobial approach to infected wound management

Infections frequently occur after skin injuries, posing a significant challenge in current clinical care. Frequently changing dressings to minimize wound infections and adhesions results in large amounts of medical waste. Therefore, developing environmentally friendly multifunctional dressings has considerable application and translational significance. This study aimed to prepare a wound dressing with favorable antimicrobial properties and biosafety by grafting a natural antimicrobial peptide, polylysine, onto a traditional cotton textile dressing. The cotton textile dressing offers excellent moisture absorption and softness, while polylysine provides excellent biocompatibility, a broad antimicrobial spectrum, and high stability. Furthermore, both materials are natural and biodegradable, making them ideal for environmentally friendly wound dressings. (c) 2024 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.