Sprayable Hydrogels with Tunable Gelation Mechanisms for Wound Healing and Tissue Repair

Sprayable hydrogels have gained attention as practical wound dressings owing to their ability to conform to irregular wound geometries and deliver bioactive agents without direct contact. In this talk, I will introduce three hydrogel systems we have developed, each built around a different gelation strategy.

The first is a laponite-based thixotropic hydrogel that recovers its structure after shear, making it suitable for spray-based deposition. The second is a PLGA-PEG-PLGA triblock copolymer system that gels at body temperature, allowing it to solidify in situ once applied to tissue. The third is a powder-type formulation that hydrates on contact, which we found particularly useful for storage stability and on-demand use. Across all three systems, we assessed rheological behavior, cytocompatibility, and release of incorporated bioactive agents. In vitro and in vivo data collectively support the feasibility of these platforms for wound healing applications.