Mechanically Active and Antimicrobial Wound Closure Using an Adhesive Hydrogel-Elastomer.

Chronic wounds affect millions worldwide and lead to pain, infection, and impaired quality of life. Current wound sealing technologies for chronic wound care remain largely palliative, with poor adhesion, weak mechanical properties, and limited ability to deliver therapeutics. Emerging technologies, including autologous blood products, growth factor-enhanced scaffolds, and artificial skin, although clinically successful, are limited from widespread adoption by the high cost of production and challenging clinical workflow. Here, we present a tough adhesive-elastomer wound care technology that is mechanically robust to approximate wound edges, can adhere strongly to wet and dynamic wound surfaces, is capable of delivering antimicrobials, and supports cell migration and proliferation. This technology has the potential to address an unmet clinical need in wound healing.