Bioinspired 3D‐Printed NIR‐Responsive MXene‐Based Multifunctional Eutectogel Microneedles for Personalized Infected Wound Healing

A 3D-printed, bioinspired MXene-based eutectogel microneedle system is developed. It integrates multiple functions like photothermal responsiveness and drug release, showing great potential in infected wound healing through in vitro and in vivo studies.

Abstract

Infected wound healing remains a significant clinical challenge, demanding innovative therapeutic strategies to simultaneously address bacterial elimination, tissue regeneration, and controlled drug delivery. Inspired by the hierarchical structure of crocodile teeth, a bioinspired, 3D-printed microneedle patch integrating Mxene nanosheets and a polymerizable deep eutectic solvent (PDES) composed of vinyl pyrrolidone (VP), itaconic acid (IA), and N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) is developed. The resulting MXene-based eutectogel microneedle (MF-MXene@MN) combines photothermal responsiveness, antioxidant activity, and temperature-triggered drug release for photothermal conversion and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. The gradient-height design inspired by crocodile teeth enhances tissue adhesion, while DLP 3D printing enables personalized wound dressing geometries with <50 µm resolution. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated a 94.88% wound closure rate within 10 days, 3.2-fold increased angiogenesis, 68% reduced bacterial viability (S. aureus: 32.59%; E. coli: 48.17% under NIR), and pH-/temperature-responsive mangiferin release (88.3% cumulative release via 5 NIR cycles). These synergistic functions promote wound healing, offering superior antibacterial ability, tissue regeneration promotion, and drug release control compared to traditional wound dressings and microneedle systems. This multifunctional platform integrates bioinspired design, stimuli-responsive materials, and additive manufacturing, providing a transformative solution for precision wound management.