Metal gel particles loaded with epidermal cell growth factor promote skin wound repair mechanism by regulating miRNA

Skin wounds are prone to fungal infections and may threaten patients’ lives in severe cases. However, conventional treatment protocols rarely promote skin wound repair by modulating microRNA (miRNA). A novel binuclear cobalt(ii) complex with the chemical formula [Co2(MBBA)2(HPT)2(H2O)2]·2H2O (1) was synthesized through the reaction of 2-(4-methylbenzoyl) benzoic acid and 3-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole in the presence of 3,4-pyridine dicarboxylic acid as the template reagent. With natural polysaccharide hyaluronic acid and carboxymethyl chitosan as raw material, based on the chemical synthesis of epidermal cell growth factor for the load of metal gel particles, the microstructure and skin wound healing effect were studied. Molecular docking simulation showed that neither the carboxyl nor triazole group formed binding interactions with the active sites on proteins. Instead, the carbonyl group interacted with the active sites through hydrogen bonding. This study not only provides an effective solution to promote skin wound repair by modulating miRNAs but also provides useful ideas for synthesizing organometallic ligand-based hydrogels and their applications in biomedical fields.