Hydrogels catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) serve as an efficient and effective platform for biomedical applications due to their mild reaction conditions for cells, fast and adjustable gelation rate in physiological conditions, and an abundance of substrates as water-soluble biocompatible polymers.

Hybrid fibrous mat containing cell interactive molecules offers the ability to deliver the cells and drugs in wound bed, which will help to achieve a high therapeutic treatment. In this study, a co-electrospun hybrid of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), chitosan (Ch) and silk fibrous mat was developed and their wound healing potential by localizing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived keratinocytes on it was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. It was expected that fabricated hybrid construct could promote wound healing due to its structure, physical, biological specifications. The fabricated fibrous mats were characterized for their structural, mechanical and biochemical properties. The shape uniformity and pore size of fibers showed smooth and homogenous structures of them. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) verified all typical absorption characteristics of Ch-PVA + Silk polymers as well as Ch-PVA or pure PVA substrates. The contact angle and wettability measurement of fibers showed that mats found moderate hydrophilicity by addition of Ch and silk substrates compared with PVA alone. The mechanical features of Ch-PVA + Silk fibrous mat increase significantly through co-electrospun process as well as hybridization of these synthetic and natural polymers. Higher degrees of cellular attachment and proliferation obtained on Ch-PVA + Silk fibers compared with PVA and Ch-PVA fibers. In terms of the capability of Ch-PVA + Silk fibers and MSC-derived keratinocytes, histological analysis and skin regeneration results showed this novel fibrous construct could be suggested as a skin substitute in the repair of injured skin and regenerative medicine applications.

Self-assembled structures primarily arise through enzyme-regulated phenomena in nature under persistent conditions. Enzymatic reactions are one of the main biological processes constructing supramolecular hydrogel networks required for biomedical applications. Such enzymatic processes provide a unique opportunity to integrate hydrogel formation. In most cases, the structure and substrates of hydrogels are adjusted by enzyme catalysis due to enzymes’ chemo-, regio- and stereo-selectivity. Such hydrogels processed using various enzyme schemes showed remarkable characteristics as dynamic frames for cells, bioactive molecules, and drugs in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine. The enzyme-mediated crosslinking hydrogels mimic the extracellular matrices by displaying unique physicochemical properties and functionalities such as water-retention capacity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, biostability, bioactivity, optoelectronic properties, self-healing ability, and shape memory ability. In recent years, many enzymatic systems investigated polymer crosslinking. Herein, we review efficient strategies for enzymatic hydrogelation, including hydrogel synthesis and chemistry, and demonstrate their applicability in biomedical systems. Furthermore, the advantages, challenges, and prospects of enzymatic-crosslinkable hydrogels are discussed. The results of biocompatible hydrogel products show that these crosslinking mechanisms can fulfill requirements for a variety of biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery.