Insufficient metabolic energy, in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and bacterial infections are among the main causes for the development of chronic wounds. Previously we showed that the physiological inorganic polymer polyphosphate (polyP) massively accelerates wound healing both in animals (diabetic mice) and, when incorporated into mats, in patients with chronic wounds. Here, we focused on a hydrogel-based gel formulation, supplemented with both soluble sodium polyP (Na-polyP) and amorphous calcium polyP nanoparticles (Ca-polyP-NP). Exposure of human epidermal keratinocytes to the gel caused a significant increase in extracellular ATP level, an effect that was even enhanced when Na-polyP was combined with Ca-polyP-NP. Furthermore, it is shown that the added polyP in the gel is converted into a coacervate, leading to encapsulation and killing of bacteria. The data on human chronic wounds showed that the administration of hydrogel leads to the complete closure of these wounds. Histological analysis of biopsies showed an increased granulation of the wounds and an enhanced microvessel formation. The results indicate that the polyP hydrogel, due to its properties to entrap bacteria and generate metabolic energy, is a very promising formulation for a new therapy for chronic wounds.

三磷酸腺苷 (ATP) 形式的代谢能量不足和细菌感染是慢性伤口发展的主要原因之一。以前，我们发现生理无机聚合物多磷酸盐 (polyP) 可极大地加速动物（糖尿病小鼠）的伤口愈合，并且当将其加入垫子中时，慢性伤口患者的伤口愈合。在这里，我们专注于基于水凝胶的凝胶配方，辅以可溶性多聚磷钠 (Na-polyP) 和无定形多聚磷钙纳米粒子 (Ca-polyP-NP)。将人表皮角质形成细胞暴露于凝胶会导致细胞外 ATP 水平显着增加，当 Na-polyP 与 Ca-polyP-NP 结合时，这种效果甚至会增强。此外，显示凝胶中添加的 polyP 转化为凝聚层，导致细菌被包裹并杀死。人类慢性伤口的数据表明，水凝胶的施用导致这些伤口的完全闭合。活组织检查的组织学分析显示伤口肉芽增加和微血管形成增加。结果表明，polyP水凝胶具有捕获细菌和产生代谢能量的特性，是一种非常有前途的慢性伤口新疗法。