I-Corps: Translational Potential of a Bacteria-Responsive Smart Hydrogel for Chronic Wound Infection Management

Award ID: 2628114

This I-Corps project is based on the development of smart wound care materials that can detect and respond to infection in real time. Chronic and acute wound infections affect millions of patients annually, leading to increased hospitalization rates and healthcare costs, and accelerated healing timelines. Growing antimicrobial resistance, often exacerbated through the overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics in wound treatment, further complicates treatment. Current wound management approaches often rely on periodic clinical assessments and laboratory testing, which can delay intervention and result in ineffective treatment decisions. The proposed technology integrates infection sensing with targeted therapeutic delivery to provide information while enabling treatment only when infection is present. By improving infection management, reducing unnecessary antimicrobial exposure, and supporting earlier clinical intervention, this innovation has the potential to improve patient outcomes across multiple wound types. This technology may improve treatment effectiveness while reducing costs associated with complications, delayed healing, and recurrent infections. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of enzyme-responsive wound dressings that combine infection sensing and on-demand therapeutic delivery within a single device. The technology incorporates biomaterials engineered to recognize bacterial enzymes commonly associated with wound infections and generate a visible response indicating the presence of pathogenic bacteria. In parallel, enzyme-responsive hydrogel networks are designed to degrade selectively in the presence of infection-associated enzymes, enabling controlled release of encapsulated antimicrobial agents only when needed. Research demonstrates selective responsiveness to bacterial enzymatic activity, tunable hydrogel degradation behavior, controlled therapeutic release, and efficacy in laboratory, ex vivo, and preclinical infection models. Unlike conventional dressings that provide passive wound coverage or continuous drug exposure, this approach enables active monitoring and infection-triggered treatment. In addition, the device is designed to support integration with a range of antimicrobial and therapeutic payloads This technology may address the growing demand for a smart wound dressing in outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and home health settings. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman