Functionalized hyaluronic acid microneedles integrated with gallium-tannic acid nanocomplex for synergistic therapy of diabetic wound infections.

Diabetic wound healing remains a formidable clinical challenge due to persistent bacterial infections, excessive inflammation, and impaired tissue regeneration. Herein, a novel dissolvable microneedle patch based on hyaluronic acid (HA) is developed, which incorporates Ga3+-tannic acid coordination nanoparticles (GaTA NPs) for synergistic treatment of diabetic wound infections. The resulting GaTA@HA-MN patch demonstrates excellent skin penetration ability, and rapid dissolution. In vitro, GaTA@HA-MN exhibits potent broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, effectively scavenges reactive oxygen species, promotes fibroblast migration, and modulates macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype. In vivo studies reveal that GaTA@HA-MN significantly accelerates wound closure, reduces bacterial burden, suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 expression, enhances collagen deposition, and promotes mature skin structure regeneration with appendages such as hair follicles. This multifunctional patch system represents a robust and scalable strategy for managing chronic diabetic wounds through simultaneous antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-regenerative actions.