Multidomain Peptide Hydrogel Accelerates Healing of Full-Thickness Wounds in Diabetic Mice

The study evaluated the healing effects of a multidomain peptide (MDP) hydrogel on full-thickness wounds in diabetic mice, comparing it to IntraSite (a commercial wound gel) and a buffer solution. The MDP hydrogel significantly outperformed the other treatments, achieving 95% wound closure by day 14, compared to 68% for IntraSite and 38% for the buffer. By day 28, MDP-treated wounds had healed to a degree that IntraSite-treated wounds only reached after twice the time, while buffer-treated wounds did not heal as effectively within the study period. The MDP hydrogel also promoted better tissue regeneration, with robust collagen staining, dense vascularization, innervation, and hair follicle regeneration. The study involved 12 mice with 24 wounds for day 14 data and 6 mice with 12 wounds for day 28 data, and statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with a Tukey posthoc test, showing a p-value of < 0.05. The findings suggest that MDP hydrogel could be a promising treatment for wound healing in diabetic patients.