Introduction: The objective of this study is to stimulate wound healing using bioinspired hydrogels with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).
Materials and methods: Inspired by the crosslinking mechanism in algae-based adhesives, hydrogels were fabricated with gum arabic, pectin, and Ca²⁺. The physical properties of the bioinspired hydrogels were characterized, and the in vitro release of bFGF was investigated. Then, the in vitro scratch assay for wound healing and in vivo wound healing experiment in a full-thickness excision wound model were performed for the bioinspired hydrogels with bFGF. Finally, histological examinations and organ toxicity tests were conducted to investigate the wound healing applications of the bioinspired hydrogels with bFGF.
Results: The in vitro and in vivo results showed that the bioinspired hydrogels with bFGF could significantly enhance cell proliferation, wound re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, and contraction without any noticeable toxicity and inflammation compared with the hydrogels without bFGF and commercial wound healing products.
Conclusion: These results suggest the potential application of bioinspired hydrogels with bFGF for wound healing.
Keywords: bioinspired hydrogels, basic fibroblast growth factor, gum arabic, pectin, wound healing