Electrochemically engineered graphene oxide nanozyme hydrogel with multi-enzymatic activity for effective infected wound therapy

Infected skin wounds often suffer from excessive inflammation and delayed healing due to dysregulated redox balance caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and bacterial colonization, which are two interconnected biological barriers in wound repair. The natural antioxidant defense system inherently regulates ROS levels via coordinated enzymatic activities such as oxidases (OXD), peroxidases (POD), and catalases (CAT) to mitigate oxidative stress while combating bacteria, maintaining a favorable microenvironment for healing. Conventional dressings generally provide limited therapeutic efficacy due to poor moisture regulation, inadequate exudate absorption, and the risk of secondary injury, which exacerbate reactive oxygen species accumulation. Inspired by the natural antioxidant defense, we developed a multifunctional sodium alginate-graphene oxide (SA-GO) hydrogel by electrochemically engineering it that mimics OXD, POD, and CAT activities to regulate redox balance. This nanozyme hydrogel also enables photothermal therapy under near-infrared (NIR) illumination. In vitro, SA-GO hydrogel achieved an antibacterial efficiency approaching 100 % against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus via synergistic ROS generation and photothermal ablation. In a mouse-infected wound model, it significantly eradicated bacteria and accelerated healing. This work highlights the potential of tri-enzyme-mimetic hydrogels as effective platforms for ROS-regulation and enhanced treatment of infected wounds.