Collagen-Based Hydrogel Patch Promotes Renal Wound Repair

Abstract

Partial nephrectomy is increasingly becoming the preferred choice for early-stage renal cancer. However, the complex suturing process prolongs warm ischemia time, impairs the function of normal renal parenchyma, and often leads to complications such as wound infection, poor healing, and bleeding. Bioadhesives serve as ideal alternative materials, but currently used medical adhesives, including cyanoacrylates and fibrin/collagen-based glues, suffer from poor wet adhesion and cytotoxicity. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop multifunctional bioadhesives possessing hemostatic, post-operative wound management, anti-infective, and healing-promoting properties. This study designed a multifunctional biocompatible hydrogel patch based on the coordination bonding between the abundant carboxyl groups in acrylic acid and the amino groups in biocompatible rat tail collagen (Col).The PAAc-QCS-Col hydrogel patch exhibited excellent biocompatibility, mechanical properties (172.60 ± 13.65 kPa), swelling behavior (53.87 ± 1.87%), adhesive strength (51.28 ± 1.11 kPa), and antibacterial capability. In a rat 1/4 nephrectomy model, the hydrogel patch demonstrated effective hemostasis and promoted wound healing, with histological morphology revealing more orderly structures of nascent renal tubules. In summary, this multifunctional hydrogel shows outstanding hemostatic and wound management capabilities in partial nephrectomy, holding potential for clinical application.