On-Demand Dissolution of a Dendritic Hydrogel-based Dressing for Second-Degree Burn Wounds through Thiol-Thioester Exchange Reaction.

An adhesive yet easily removable burn wound dressing represents a breakthrough in second-degree burn wound care. Current second-degree burn wound dressings absorb wound exudate, reduce bacterial infections, and maintain a moist environment for healing, but are surgically or mechanically debrided from the wound, causing additional trauma to the newly formed tissues. We have developed an on-demand dissolvable dendritic thioester hydrogel burn dressing for second-degree burn care. The hydrogel is composed of a lysine-based dendron and a PEG-based crosslinker, which are synthesized in high yields. The hydrogel burn dressing covers the wound and acts as a barrier to bacterial infection in an in vivo second-degree burn wound model. A unique feature of the hydrogel is its capability to be dissolved on-demand, via a thiol–thioester exchange reaction, allowing for a facile burn dressing removal.