Bio-Inspired Self-Healing Hydrogel for Fast Hemostasis and Accelerated Wound Healing of Gastric Ulcers

Gastric ulcers accompanied by acute or chronic bleeding represent a significant risk of fatality. However, the development of effective strategies for achieving rapid hemostasis and wound healing in gastric ulcer bleeding represents a formidable challenge. To address this challenge, thrombin-derived C-terminal peptide (TCP-25) is employed as a targeted agent, and it is incorporated into two novel injectable and biocompatible carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCs) hydrogels via Schiff's base reaction. The TCP-25 peptide hydrogels display optimal adaptability within the distinctive gastrointestinal microenvironment, demonstrating a balance of acid resistance and degradation, along with controlled release and bioactivity, and good bio-adhesive properties. Both in vitro and in vivo reveal that the hydrogel achieves rapid hemostasis. In an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats, it demonstrates that the hydrogel effectively inhibits gastric ulcer bleeding by 92% within 24-h, exhibiting efficacy that surpasses that of omeprazole medicine, a commonly used clinical treatment. This enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of the CMCs hydrogel and TCP-25 peptide in effectively achieving hemostasis, inhibiting bacterial growth, and promoting gastric wound healing in acute or chronic bleeding gastric ulcers. Consequently, the present work offers promising clinical applications for rapid hemostasis and wound healing in gastric ulcers. Bio-inspired self-healing hydrogel demonstrates rapid hemostasis and superior gastric ulcer hemostasis and wound healing in a rat model in vivo, exhibiting efficacy that surpasses that of omeprazole medicine, a commonly used clinical treatment. image